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a smaller amount or degree of something
He has less patience with children than with adults.
He is less tolerant when dealing with children.
Often used to compare quantities or qualities.
not as much as before
The traffic is less heavy today.
There are fewer cars on the road today.
Used to indicate a reduction in quantity or intensity.
Use 'less' for uncountable nouns (e.g., less water) and 'fewer' for countable nouns (e.g., fewer people).
'Less' is the comparative form of 'little' and is used for uncountable nouns.
From Middle English 'les', from Old English 'lǣss', from Proto-Germanic 'laisiz'.
Can be used as an adjective, adverb, or determiner. In formal contexts, 'fewer' is preferred for countable nouns.