lesser
word · lemma: less
/ˈɫɛsɝ/
LE-sur
/lˈɛsɐ/
LE-suh
Definition
Used to describe something that is smaller, of lower importance, or not as great as something else.
Usage & Nuances
'Lesser' is formal or literary and often appears with nouns ('lesser extent', 'the lesser evil'). It is rarely used alone—use 'less' for most comparisons in conversation. Common in set phrases and scientific names (e.g., 'lesser panda').
Spanish: menor - inferiorPortuguese (BR): menor - inferiorPortuguese (PT): menor - inferiorChinese (Simplified): 较小的 - 较少的 - 次要的Chinese (Traditional): 較小的 - 較少的 - 次要的Hindi: कम - छोटाArabic: أقل - أدنىBengali: কম - অপেক্ষাকৃত ছোট - নির্ধারিত অর্থে কম গুরুত্বপূর্ণRussian: меньший - менее важныйJapanese: より小さい - より重要でないVietnamese: ít hơn - kém quan trọng hơnKorean: 더 작은 - 덜 중요한Turkish: daha az - daha küçük - daha önemsizUrdu: کم تر - کم اہمیتIndonesian: lebih kecil - kurang penting
Example Sentences
She took the lesser of two risks.
natural
It was the lesser known of her two books.
natural
Sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil.
natural
The lesser problem was easy to solve.
basic
Of the two tasks, I chose the lesser one.
basic
He received a lesser punishment than others.
basic