Less | Mean of less in English Dictionary

/ˈlɛs/

• not so much
1. We need less talk and more work!
2. She finished in less time than I did.
3. Less detail is sometimes better than more detail.
4. 8 times 2 is less than 6 times 3.
5. We made it there in less than six hours.
6. The whole procedure takes less than five minutes.
7. The illness affects less than one percent of the population.
• at least
1. No less than half the students failed the test.
2. She has had no less than [=no fewer than] a dozen job offers.
3. classrooms with fewer students
4. They have fewer than three children.
5. He makes less money than she does.
6. The new model uses less power.
7. an investment of less than $2,000
8. It's less than 100 miles away.
9. an angle of less than 180 degrees
10. Write it in 25 words or less.
11. Less than 10 people showed up. = Fewer than 10 people showed up.
• very soon
1. If we get started now, we'll be finished in less than no time.

• in a way that is gradually smaller, weaker, or less common
1. The medicine becomes less and less [=decreasingly] effective over time.
2. We see them less and less each year. = We see them less and less frequently/often each year.
• not completely or not at all
1. She was less than happy with the results. [=she was not entirely happy or she was unhappy]
2. He was less than honest in his replies. [=he was not completely honest or he was very dishonest]
• a smaller number or amount
1. We've learned to make do with less. [=to survive with less money, fewer possessions, etc.]
2. He's trying to save more and spend less.
3. I have less than you do.
4. I read much/far/even less of the second book than of the first.
5. I seem to save less each year.
6. We had exactly one day to get the job done—no more, no less.
7. Less is sometimes better than more.
8. Regarding his recent behavior, perhaps the less said, the better. [=his recent behavior has been so bad that it is better to not say anything about it]
• something that is smaller or less important than another thing
1. You're lucky you didn't lose your job for swearing at your boss. People have been fired for less (than that).
• an amount that becomes gradually smaller
1. I seem to save less and less each year.
2. We see less and less of them each year.
• after taking away or subtracting (something)
1. the regular price less [=minus] a discount
2. We earned two hundred dollars, less travel expenses.