has less opportunities

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "has less opportunities" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form is "has fewer opportunities" because "fewer" is used with countable nouns like "opportunities." Example: "She has fewer opportunities to advance her career in this small town."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Similarly, that a student from a small town has less opportunities for internships and jobs than a student from a more metropolitan area?

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Every dollar cut from education means a child like Harrison has less opportunity to reach their potential.

The Guardian - Opinion

Such estimates bring to light the fact that extensive engagement in bilateral agreements has less opportunity to foster the inflow of foreign capital if liberal FDI policies already exist in the host countries and they compete for vertical investment.

Journal of Economic Structures

Padalecki generally has less opportunity to flex that muscle week-to-week, but he did a great job of simultaneously selling Sam's terror and making it hilarious to watch.

Huffington Post

This would suggest that the lineage has less opportunity to recombine with distant E. coli lineages due to reduced opportunity to interact in the mammalian intestinal tract.

Genome Biology and Evolution

If a person using AAC has less opportunity to frame a conversation in this manner, they are likely to relinquish much of this control to their conversational partner.

AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Fewer studies include fathers which limits the interpretation of their results; inclusion of fathers provides a greater understanding of the genetic effects as the father-child relationship has less opportunity for confounding with environmental effects.

BMC Public Health

In the host opportunistic nest flea, C. rossi, the parasite has less opportunity to spread via host movement, resulting in a pattern of distantly related haplotypes at most sites.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

"This is the first generation where many children have less opportunities than their parents did".

The Guardian

You have Republican candidate Jeb Bush saying on live TV that he smoked marijuana, while for the same thing we're sending kids who have less opportunities to jail.

The Guardian - Film

Those in lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods may have less opportunities for physical activity [15, 23] leading to widening health inequalities.

Sports Medicine - Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fewer opportunities" instead of "less opportunities" when referring to countable items like opportunities. This ensures grammatical accuracy.

Common error

Avoid using "less" with countable nouns. Remember that "less" is for uncountable nouns (e.g., "less water"), while "fewer" is for countable nouns (e.g., "fewer chances").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has less opportunities" functions as a verb phrase expressing a deficiency or lack of available chances. However, according to Ludwig AI, it is not grammatically correct. The correct form is "has fewer opportunities".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "has less opportunities" appears in various sources, including news, science, and business contexts, it is considered grammatically incorrect according to Ludwig AI. The correct phrasing is "has fewer opportunities", as "fewer" should be used with countable nouns. Although "has less opportunities" is relatively common, especially in informal contexts, it is advisable to use the grammatically correct alternative, particularly in formal writing, to ensure clarity and precision. Related phrases like "faces limited prospects" or "encounters reduced possibilities" can also be used to express similar meanings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has fewer opportunities

Uses "fewer" which is grammatically correct for countable nouns like "opportunities".

faces limited prospects

Emphasizes the constrained nature of the outlook or potential.

encounters reduced possibilities

Highlights the diminished scope of available actions or pathways.

is at a disadvantage

Focuses on the comparative lack of favorable conditions.

is presented with diminished avenues

Highlights how options have reduced significantly.

has constricted horizons

Refers to limitations in what one can aspire to or achieve.

is bereft of ample scope

Highlights the insufficiency of room or range for action.

has restricted access

Focuses on limited entry to resources or privileges.

is short on openings

Indicates a scarcity of chances or occasions.

lacks a breadth of options

Highlights how certain options are not available.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "has less opportunities"?

The grammatically correct way to express this is to say "has fewer opportunities". The word "fewer" should be used with countable nouns like "opportunities".

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

Use "less" with uncountable nouns (e.g., "less time", "less water") and "fewer" with countable nouns (e.g., "fewer opportunities", "fewer people").

What are some alternatives to "has less opportunities"?

Consider using phrases like "faces limited prospects", "encounters reduced possibilities", or "is at a disadvantage" depending on the specific context.

Is "has less opportunity" grammatically correct?

While you can say "has less opportunity" if you're referring to opportunity in a general, uncountable sense, it's often more precise to use "has fewer opportunities" when discussing specific instances or chances.