TKG English Learner's Dictionary

less

lessdeterminer

American /lɛs/ British /les/
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. a smaller amountused before an uncountable noun to mean a smaller amount than before, or than another amount already mentioned

    Less is the comparative of little: it compares two amounts. It is often followed by than: less time than expected. For a countable noun, the traditional matching word is fewer, though less is now common there too in everyday speech (see the usage note).

    Collocations

    phrase much less, far less, even less

    Antonyms more

    Compare least (less compares two amounts; least compares three or more and picks the smallest); little

Usage

In careful or formal writing, fewer is used before a plural countable noun (fewer problems) and less before an uncountable noun (less trouble). In everyday speech, many people use less with both (less problems); a reviewer or teacher may still mark this as an error, so learners preparing for formal writing should keep fewer for countable nouns.

Common mistakes

There are less people here today. There are fewer people here today.
In careful writing, a countable plural noun takes fewer, not less.

See also least; little; few (the word whose comparative, fewer, is used with countable nouns)

For translators

Grammar trap Less is the comparative determiner that traditionally goes only with an uncountable noun; the comparative for a countable noun is fewer, though less is increasingly heard there too in informal speech.