fewer dividends

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fewer dividends" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a decrease in the number of dividends received from investments or shares. Example: "Due to the company's poor financial performance, shareholders can expect fewer dividends this year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Kangding Ray and Mogwai's Barry Burns yield fewer dividends with their ponderous post-rock, though it has an easy beauty.

The Guardian - Music

This might seem an admirable attempt to humanize a brutish caricature, but it is an incongruous and frankly hopeless pursuit that reaps fewer dividends as the play becomes more gleefully violent.

The New York Times

"The Magistrate" offers up a troupe of onstage musicians to supply scene-change music, though the faux-Gilbert and Sullivan ditties here pay fewer dividends than the ever-evolving songs of the Craze in "One Man, Two Guvnors," an earlier (and ongoing) National success.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Compared with Bain, other private equity firms were involved in fewer dividend recapitalization deals during the period Reuters analyzed.

Huffington Post

His critics retort that it has shown few dividends yet.

The Economist

But Woods' power paid few dividends, and the rest of his game seemed unable to compensate.

The Guardian - Sport

Congress recently passed legislation to address these weaknesses, but past Congressional mandates have paid few dividends.

The New York Times

Ferguson's decision to start the game with only one striker — Wayne Rooney — paid few dividends and produced no shots.

The New York Times

Farrar said those foreign delegations that shunned civil society activists and avoided mention of political prisoners reaped few dividends.

The Guardian

The fuel subsidy is one of the few dividends average Nigerians have received from immense oil wealth that has benefited a tiny minority of the population in the country's more than 50 years of independence.

The New York Times

This group includes the technology sector, which used to distribute few dividends but has recently become the second-largest source of such income, in dollar terms, among all sectors in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "fewer dividends", ensure you clarify the reason for the decrease to provide context and maintain transparency, especially in financial communications.

Common error

Avoid using "less dividends". "Fewer" is for countable items (dividends), while "less" is for uncountable quantities. It is grammatically incorrect to say "less dividends".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fewer dividends" functions as a noun phrase, where "fewer" acts as a determiner modifying the noun "dividends". It indicates a reduction in the number of dividend payouts. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

33%

Science

17%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fewer dividends" is a grammatically correct and understandable phrase that indicates a reduction in dividend payouts. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's best suited for professional, formal, or neutral contexts, such as news reports or financial analysis. When using this phrase, clarify the reasons for the decrease. While "fewer" is correct for countable nouns like dividends, avoid the common error of using "less" instead. Alternatives include "lower returns", "reduced payouts", or "smaller dividends".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

smaller dividends

Replaces "fewer" with "smaller" to emphasize the decreased size of the dividends.

lower returns

Changes the noun from "dividends" to "returns" providing a broader term for financial gains.

reduced payouts

Focuses on the act of distributing funds, using the term "payouts" instead of the specific term "dividends".

diminished returns

Uses "diminished" to convey a sense of reduction in the benefits received.

decreased profits

Shifts the focus from dividends to the underlying profits that generate them.

scarcer dividends

Emphasizes the limited availability of dividends.

slimmer payouts

Combines the concepts of reduced size and distribution of funds.

thinner dividends

Metaphorically describes dividends as being reduced in substance or value.

meager dividends

Highlights the insubstantial amount of dividends being distributed.

contracted dividends

Uses "contracted" to suggest a shrinking or reduction in the amount of dividends.

FAQs

How can I use "fewer dividends" in a sentence?

You can use "fewer dividends" to describe a situation where the amount of dividend payouts has decreased. For example, "Due to the economic downturn, the company announced that shareholders would receive "fewer dividends" this year".

What's a good alternative to saying "fewer dividends"?

Alternatives include "lower returns", "reduced payouts", or "smaller dividends", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it correct to say "less dividends" instead of "fewer dividends"?

No, it is not correct. "Fewer" is used for countable nouns like "dividends", while "less" is used for uncountable nouns. The correct phrase is ""fewer dividends"".

What does it mean when a company offers "fewer dividends"?

When a company offers ""fewer dividends"", it typically indicates that the company's profitability has decreased, or that it's choosing to reinvest earnings rather than distribute them to shareholders.