fewer capacity

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fewer capacity" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct term is "less capacity," as "capacity" is an uncountable noun. Example: "The new design has less capacity for storage than the previous model."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

For the upper layers, they may reside a much fewer capacity with the decreasing rate in a geometric manner.

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Of the four operas in the cycle, this one has inspired the director, Robert Lepage, to his strongest, clearest and most effective work, largely because he simplified his approach and used fewer capacities of the massive set, a gizmo of 24 movable planks.

The New York Times - Arts

The additive skill training will help to overcome tension and dissociation during the exposure therapy and is a kind of precondition for exposure therapy with complex traumatized patients with fewer capacities to cope with stress, tension and dissociation [ 131].

BMC Psychiatry

These have few capacity restraints at their home hubs.

The Economist

In a uniform price auction for electricity with two firms, strategic behaviour may leave firms offering too few capacities and unable to supply all realized demand.

Energy Economics

These then will become climate-change refugees: with few capacities and skills, little wanted by countries that should receive them, dependent on support and benevolence, and endangered to become a pawn in political in-fighting.

Bandung: Journal of the Global South

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Vice

On Monday, the Rams' game drew 55,966 fans, about 10,000 fewer than capacity at Edward Jones Dome.

The New York Times - Sports

This is a problem, because education level is associated with cognitive capacities in a way that lower educated people generally have fewer cognitive capacities (e.g, [ 5, 6]).

BMC Public Health

In particular, one gets a choice of having a few high capacity outgoing links or many low capacity ones at any node of the network.

Theoretical Computer Science

Most pipeline facilities use electrical equipment of some sort or another, ranging from simple power circuits of a few amperes capacity to sophisticated supervisory control and data acquisition systems.

Pipeline Rules of Thumb Handbook Quick and accurate solutions to your everyday pipeline problems

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing capacity, remember that it's generally treated as an uncountable noun. Always use "less capacity" instead of "fewer capacity" to ensure grammatical accuracy.

Common error

Many writers incorrectly use "fewer" with uncountable nouns like "capacity". Always reserve "fewer" for countable nouns (e.g., "fewer seats"). When describing the amount of capacity, use "less".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fewer capacity" functions as a noun phrase intended to describe a reduced capability or amount. However, it is grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, the use of "fewer" is inappropriate with the uncountable noun "capacity".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

37%

News & Media

37%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "fewer capacity" appears in various sources, it is grammatically incorrect. "Capacity" is an uncountable noun and should be paired with "less" rather than "fewer". According to Ludwig AI, the correct phrase is "less capacity", or alternatives like "reduced capacity" or "lower capacity". Although examples can be found in news, media, and scientific contexts, using the grammatically correct form will improve clarity and credibility. Remember to reserve "fewer" for countable nouns and "less" for uncountable ones.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Less capacity

Replaces "fewer" with "less" to correct the grammatical error, as "capacity" is an uncountable noun.

Reduced capacity

Uses "reduced" as an adjective to describe a decrease in capacity, offering a grammatically sound alternative.

Lower capacity

Employs "lower" to indicate a diminished capacity, which is grammatically correct and semantically similar.

Limited capacity

Indicates that the capacity is restricted or not at its full potential.

Smaller capacity

Describes the capacity as being physically or proportionally smaller.

Decreased capacity

Similar to "reduced capacity", emphasizing a decline in the amount that can be held or managed.

Diminished capacity

Suggests a weakening or reduction in the ability to hold or contain.

Restricted capacity

Highlights that the capacity is subject to limitations or constraints.

Inadequate capacity

Indicates that the capacity is insufficient for the intended purpose.

Insufficient capacity

Similar to "inadequate capacity", specifying that there is not enough capacity to meet the needs.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "fewer capacity"?

No, it is not grammatically correct. "Capacity" is an uncountable noun, so you should use "less capacity" instead of "fewer capacity".

What is a more appropriate way to express "fewer capacity"?

You can use phrases like "reduced capacity", "lower capacity", or "limited capacity" to convey the intended meaning more accurately.

When should I use "fewer" versus "less"?

"Fewer" should be used with countable nouns (things you can count individually), while "less" should be used with uncountable nouns (things you cannot count individually). For example, "fewer cars" but "less water".

What does "less capacity" mean?

"Less capacity" means a reduced or smaller ability to hold or contain something, whether it's physical space, workload, or some other measure of capability.