fewer crowd

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fewer crowd" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct term would be "fewer people" or "smaller crowd" when referring to a reduced number of individuals in a gathering. Example: "The event was a success, but we had a fewer crowd than expected due to the rain."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The pictures that do, though fewer, crowd out the rest by the size of the reaction they create.

The New York Times - Arts

"There should be many fewer crowd disasters given what we now know and can simulate," says Mr Helbing.The biggest test possible of these tools and techniques is the haj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims are expected to carry out at least once in their lives if they can.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Letters are welcome via e-mail to [email protected] to choose a judgeSIR – You are correct in pointing out that the authority of international courts and tribunals depends ultimately on the quality of their judges ("Wanted: better judgment, fewer crowd-pleasers and lickspittles", November 22nd).

The Economist

"Douglas Alexander, the party's election chief, said: 'Labour can win the general election if we take the right steps between now and a year's time.' "The 'if' has to include fewer crowd-pleasing cost-of-living promises and more counter-intuitive policies".

The Guardian

"There are fewer crowds, and there's lots to do".

The New York Times - Travel

For fewer crowds, try Frying Pan off the backside.

The New York Times - Travel

More fun, fewer crowds and for less money?

The New York Times - Travel

Not to mention that fewer crowds mean more mountain all to yourself.

The New York Times - Travel

More walking means fewer crowds on the subway, and potentially more patrons in neighborhood businesses.

The New York Times

For even fewer crowds, go to Sapodilla Bay on the island's southern tip.

The New York Times - Travel

-- Anne Zachos, Manchester, N.H. A. Spring is usually a wonderful time to visit Crete, with fewer crowds and typically glorious weather.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to a gathering of people, use "smaller crowd" or "fewer people" instead of "fewer crowd" to ensure grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "fewer" with nouns that represent a collective or uncountable entity like "crowd". "Fewer" is appropriate for countable items, while "less" or "smaller" is suitable for uncountable or collective nouns.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fewer crowd" attempts to function as an adjective-noun combination, aiming to describe the size of a gathering. However, it's grammatically flawed because "fewer" is intended for countable nouns, and "crowd", although composed of individuals, acts as a collective noun. Ludwig AI identifies the phrase as incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fewer crowd" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, "fewer" is meant to be used with countable nouns, whereas "crowd" functions as a collective noun. Therefore, it's more appropriate to use ""smaller crowd"" or ""fewer people"" to accurately convey the intended meaning. Although the phrase appears in some news media, its usage should be avoided in formal writing. Use ""smaller crowd"", "less crowded", or ""fewer people"".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

smaller crowd

Replaces "fewer" with "smaller" to correctly modify the noun "crowd"

less crowded

Uses "less" as an adjective to describe the state of being crowded.

smaller gathering

Substitutes "crowd" with "gathering" for a more general term

fewer people present

Rephrases to focus on the number of people rather than the crowd itself.

thinner crowd

Uses "thinner" to indicate a less dense crowd.

reduced crowd size

Emphasizes the reduction in the size of the crowd.

lower attendance

Focuses on the number of attendees being lower.

less populous

Describes the area or event as having a smaller population or number of people.

sparse attendance

Highlights the lack of many people being present.

diminished crowd

Implies that crowd has been reduced in size or intensity.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the words "fewer" and "crowd" together?

The correct way to express a smaller group of people is to say "smaller crowd" or "fewer people". For example, "There was a "smaller crowd" this year" or "There were "fewer people" at the event".

What's a better alternative to saying "fewer crowd"?

Instead of "fewer crowd", you could say ""smaller crowd"", "less crowded", or ""fewer people"". The choice depends on whether you want to describe the crowd itself or the number of individuals.

Is "fewer crowd" grammatically correct?

No, "fewer crowd" is not grammatically correct. "Fewer" is used for countable nouns, and while individuals are countable, "crowd" functions as a singular collective noun in this context. Therefore, it's better to use ""smaller crowd"" or rephrase to ""fewer people"".

When should I use "fewer" versus "less" when talking about people?

"Fewer" is used with countable nouns (things you can count individually), like "people", "attendees", or "visitors". "Less" is used with uncountable nouns, like "attendance" or "congestion". Therefore, use ""fewer people"" and "less congestion".