English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
less + -er
Pronunciation[edit]
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈlɛsɚ/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈlɛsə/
- Rhymes: -ɛsə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: less‧er
Adjective[edit]
lesser
- comparative form of little: more little
- Of two (or, rarely, more than two) things: the smaller in size (littler), in value, in importance etc.
- Antonym: greater
- lesser panda, lesser yellowlegs
Derived terms[edit]
- lesser anteater
- Lesser Antilles
- lesser ape
- lesser arcana
- lesser bilby
- lesser black-backed gull
- lesser celandine
- lesser chinchilla
- lesser clubmoss
- lesser crested tern
- lesser evil, lesser of two evils
- lesser evilism
- lesser evilist
- lesser extent
- lesser flamingo
- lesser galangal
- lesser goldfinch
- lesser grey shrike
- lesser included offence
- lesser included offense
- lesser jacana
- lesser kestrel
- lesser kudu
- lesser mortal
- lesser multangular
- lesser nothura
- lesser occipital nerve
- lesser omentum
- lesser petrosal nerve
- lesser prairie chicken
- lesser redpoll
- lesser rhea
- lesser roadrunner
- lesser sac
- lesser sandplover
- lesser saphenous vein
- lesser scaup
- lesser seal script
- lesser spotted
- lesser spotted eagle
- lesser spotted woodpecker
- lesser trochanter
- lesser vestibular glands
- lesser wanderer
- lesser whistling duck
- lesser whistling teal
- lesser white-fronted goose
- lesser whitethroat
- lesser wing
- lesser-evilism
- lesser-known
- to a lesser extent
Translations[edit]
the comparative of little
- Belarusian: ме́ншы (mjénšy)
- Finnish: pienempi (fi), vähäisempi
- French: moindre (fr)
- German: weniger (de), kleiner (de), geringere (de)
- Italian: minore (it)
- Persian: کوچکتر (fa) (kôčaktar)
- Portuguese: menor (pt)
- Russian: ме́ньший (ru) (ménʹšij)
- Spanish: menor (es)
- Ukrainian: ме́нший (ménšyj)
Noun[edit]
lesser (plural lessers)
- a thing that is of smaller size, value, importance etc.
-
the lesser of two evils
-
The greater sand hills increasingly do not migrate, but almost all lessers do.
-
[edit]
- less
- lesser of two evils
- fewer
Translations[edit]
thing that is of smaller size
Anagrams[edit]
- Elsers, Eslers, resels, sleers
Old French[edit]
Verb[edit]
lesser
- Alternative form of laissier
Conjugation[edit]
This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-ss, *-sss, *-sst are modified to s, s, st. This verb has irregularities in its conjugation. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | lesser | avoir lessé | |||||
| gerund | en lessant | Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | lessant | ||||||
| past participle | lessé | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | il | nos | vos | il | |
| simple tenses |
present | les | lesses | lesse | lessons | lessez | lessent |
| imperfect | lessoie, lesseie, lessoe, lesseve | lessoies, lesseies, lessoes, lesseves | lessoit, lesseit, lessot, lesseve | lessiiens, lessiens | lessiiez, lessiez | lessoient, lesseient, lessoent, lessevent | |
| preterite | lessai | lessas | lessa | lessames | lessastes | lesserent | |
| future | lesserai | lesseras | lessera | lesserons | lesseroiz, lessereiz, lesserez | lesseront | |
| conditional | lesseroie, lessereie | lesseroies, lessereies | lesseroit, lessereit | lesseriiens, lesseriens | lesseriiez, lesseriez | lesseroient, lessereient | |
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | Use the preterite tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que jo | que tu | qu’il | que nos | que vos | qu’il | |
| simple tenses |
present | les | les | lest | lessons | lessez | lessent |
| imperfect | lessasse | lessasses | lessast | lessissons, lessissiens | lessissoiz, lessissez, lessissiez | lessassent | |
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nos | vos | – | |
| — | lesse, les | — | lessons | lessez | — |
Table of Contents
- How do you use fewer in a sentence?
- Is lesser grammatically correct?
- How do you use the word lesser?
- Does the word lesser exist?
- What is the positive of less?
- What is a positive comparison?
- What is the superlative degree of fast?
- What is the superlative of often?
For those, you must memorize how these change the spelling of their positive form to show comparative and superlative degrees. Some have more than one option: little can become littler or less (comparative), and littlest or least (superlative).
How do you use fewer in a sentence?
Examples for fewer / less
- I missed less work this year than last.
- John has fewer fishing lures than Jack does.
- Cherie drinks less wine than she used to.
- Fewer than five children live in this apartment building.
- We wear less clothing in hot weather.
- She gets in fewer workouts than he does.
Is lesser grammatically correct?
So if you mean one quantity or number is smaller than another, you say “less than”. “Lesser than” would be incorrect since “lesser” and “than” both imply a comparison, which makes them redundant when used together. It would have to either be “less than” or “lesser” only.
How do you use the word lesser?
You use lesser in order to indicate that something is smaller in extent, degree, or amount than another thing that has been mentioned. No medication works in isolation but is affected to a greater or lesser extent by many other factors.
Does the word lesser exist?
Less and lesser are both used and in many cases mean essentially the same thing. However, remember the precise difference as mentioned in Grammar Slammer. Less suggests amount; lesser suggests degree.
Comparative Form and Superlative Form (irregular comparisons)
| positive form | comparative form | superlative form |
|---|---|---|
| bad / ill | worse | worst |
| little (amount) | less | least |
| little (size) | smaller | smallest |
| much / many | more | most |
What is a positive comparison?
The positive form is the base form of the adjective. The comparative form expresses a higher degree of some quality. The superlative form expresses the highest degree.
What is the superlative degree of fast?
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| hard | harder | hardest |
| fast | faster | fastest |
| late | later | latest |
What is the superlative of often?
“Often” sometimes has comparative and superlative “oftener” and “Oftenest”, but forms with “more/most” are more common. So, both are correct, though “more often” is much more common than “oftener”.
Use the adjective lesser to describe something that’s smaller than or inferior to something else. A lesser singer might sound fine in the context of a large chorus, but a solo performance could be tricky.
A young car thief might be charged with a lesser crime because of his age — trespassing instead of larceny, for example. He’s also likely to end up with a lesser punishment in that case. Sometimes people talk about «the lesser of two evils,» by which they mean the less bad of two bad choices, or describe something as «lesser-known,» like a rarely studied poet or an unacknowledged scientist.
Definitions of lesser
-
adjective
of less size or importance
“the
lesser anteater”“the
lesser of two evils” -
adjective
smaller in size or amount or value
“the
lesser powers of Europe”“the
lesser anteater”-
Synonyms:
-
little, small
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
-
little, small
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘lesser’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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What is the meaning of lesser breeds?
noun. People of inferior status. With allusion to Kipling.
What are lesser breeds?
‘ Lesser Breeds ‘ focuses on racism as manifested in the popular culture of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Britain, exemplified by attitudes to the Chinese, Arabs, Blacks and Jews. This compelling book investigates the manifold expressions of prejudice in the popular arts of the period.
What is the meaning of lesser?
adj.A comparative of little. 1. Smaller in amount, value, or importance, especially in a comparison between two things: chose the lesser evil. 2. Of a smaller size than other, similar forms: the lesser anteater.
How do you use the word lesser?
Lesser sentence example
- He will become the lesser of two evils. …
- She still gave him the look that said she thought he was a lesser being because of his status, but she’d refused to sleep until they found her friend. …
- «You’re the lesser of two evils,» she said at the unspoken command.
Why an ant does allow other creature to live in an anthill?
Why an ant does allow other creature to live in an anthill ? A: An ant allows other creature to live in an anthill because some of them give pleasant smell; other give sweet juice and some other are just pets or playful things like cats and dogs to human being.
Is lesser correct grammar?
So if you mean one quantity or number is smaller than another, you say » less than». » Lesser than» would be incorrect since » lesser » and «than» both imply a comparison, which makes them redundant when used together. It would have to either be » less than» or » lesser » only.
What is a lesser amount?
1. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun] You use lesser in order to indicate that something is smaller in extent, degree, or amount than another thing that has been mentioned.
Is it lesser or less?
So if you mean one quantity or number is smaller than another, you say » less than». » Lesser than» would be incorrect since » lesser » and «than» both imply a comparison, which makes them redundant when used together. It would have to either be «less than» or » lesser » only. You would say less than or the lesser of.
Does the word lesser exist?
Less and lesser are both used and in many cases mean essentially the same thing. However, remember the precise difference as mentioned in Grammar Slammer. Less suggests amount; lesser suggests degree.
In which dictionaries does the word lesser exist?
English International (SOWPODS) — Yes
English USA (TWL 98) — Yes
English USA (TWL 06) — Yes
Collins Scrabble Words (CSW2012) — Yes
Collins Scrabble Words (CSW2007) — Yes
Words with Friends (WWF) — Yes
Enable1 (ENABLE1) — Yes
Letterpress (LETTERPRESS) — Yes