increasingly fewer

USAGE SUMMARY

"increasingly fewer" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are comparing a decrease between two different time periods. For example, "As the years went on, there were increasingly fewer tress in the forest."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

Increasingly fewer entities host information online, creating choke points that can restrict access to web content.

Harvard University

They say Monsanto's power translates into steep price increases for farmers and increasingly fewer seed choices.

The New York Times

As each generation's winners institutionalize their advantages, the opportunities for those who are left behind become increasingly fewer.

The New York Times

With student debts and extortionate rents, increasingly fewer young people of all ethnicities can afford to do this.

The Guardian

So why are increasingly fewer Nigerians feeling the need to vote in elections that decide the most powerful political office?

The Guardian - Opinion

Once you're ahead you can go back to the conservative stuff and let the other guy try to pull something out with an increasingly fewer number of opportunities.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

Increasingly, few players have been going for those par-5 greens in two shots.

The New York Times - Sports

Wallace, Don Jr. and Bailey, David B. (1998) "The Inevitability of National Treatment of Foreign Direct Investment with Increasingly Few and Narrow Exceptions," Cornell International Law Journal: Vol. 31 : No. 3, Article 7.

Cornell University

There are increasingly few Northern Virginia Republicans elected and rural Democrats such as Mr. Deeds, have become just as scarce.

The New York Times

A practical illustration of nonlinearity is that Iran — or any other nuclear hopeful — needs increasingly few centrifuges to make uranium 235 increasingly potent.

The New York Times - Science

In an era when increasingly few "real" books are fact-checked, perhaps this is a moot point, but let's hope not.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "increasingly fewer" to describe a trend where a quantity is diminishing over time. For example, "There are "increasingly fewer" opportunities for young people in rural areas."

Common error

Avoid using "increasingly fewer" when you should be using "increasingly less". "Fewer" is for countable nouns (e.g., people, opportunities), while "less" is for uncountable nouns (e.g., time, money). For example, it's incorrect to say "increasingly fewer time"; instead, say "increasingly less time".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "increasingly fewer" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating a declining trend over time. It modifies a noun or noun phrase, specifying that the quantity is diminishing.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Academia

20%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "increasingly fewer" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression indicating a declining trend over time. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's used correctly across diverse contexts, particularly in News & Media, Academia, and Science. When using this phrase, remember that "fewer" applies to countable nouns, not uncountable ones; for the latter, use "increasingly less". Consider alternatives like "decreasingly numerous" or "progressively less common" for variety. Remember that Ludwig provides contextually relevant examples for your writing needs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

decreasingly numerous

Replaces "fewer" with "numerous" and "increasingly" with "decreasingly", emphasizing the diminishing count.

progressively less common

Substitutes "fewer" with "less common" and "increasingly" with "progressively", focusing on declining prevalence.

ever diminishing

Uses "ever diminishing" to convey the continuous decline in quantity.

steadily declining

Focuses on the consistent reduction over time.

a dwindling number of

Emphasizes the reduction in the number of something.

a shrinking amount of

Highlights the reduction in the amount of something.

on the decline

A more general phrase indicating a decrease or deterioration.

becoming scarce

Indicates that something is becoming rare or hard to find.

in short supply

Highlights the limited availability of something.

experiencing a reduction in

A formal way of indicating a decrease or decline.

FAQs

How do I use "increasingly fewer" in a sentence?

Use "increasingly fewer" to indicate that the number of something is decreasing over time. For instance, "Due to budget cuts, there are "increasingly fewer" resources available to students".

What's the difference between "increasingly fewer" and "increasingly less"?

"Increasingly fewer" refers to countable items, such as "opportunities" or "people", while "increasingly less" refers to uncountable items like "time" or "money". Choose the right term depending on what you're describing.

What can I say instead of "increasingly fewer"?

You can use alternatives such as "decreasingly numerous", "progressively less common", or "ever diminishing" depending on the specific context.

Is "increasingly fewer" grammatically correct?

Yes, "increasingly fewer" is grammatically correct when used with countable nouns. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and consistent usage in various reliable sources.