less item

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less item" is not correct in standard written English.
It is likely intended to refer to a smaller quantity or fewer items, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "We need to order less item than we did last time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

That's one less item for her to juggle - for now.

The Guardian

This gives analysts (and the public) one less item to determine the health of the company, but according to Apple's leadership, devices sold aren't a very good indication of the company's financial health anymore because the company is selling devices at so many price points.

TechCrunch

Some people now have one less item on their bucket list. .

Vice

The threshold for the 'eat less' item was significantly higher for those of mixed ethnicity compared to reference, but the difference was not significant for the Indo-Trinidadian group.

BMC Public Health

Online surveys have been found to be better than other survey methods (i.e., telephone surveys) in some aspects such as less item nonresponse, and worse in other aspects such as response rate and item differentiation [ 73].

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Results support the theory that older adults engage in less item-specific encoding and greater gist encoding, and that these increases in gist encoding support both subsequent true and false memories.

Neuropsychologia

We considered as high availability those ICUs who always have all 8 items, intermediate availability those with 6-7 items and low availability those with 5 or less items.

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

In this respect is is almost exactly like SpeedSell in the UK, although SpeedSell is much newer and deals in less items.

TechCrunch

"Why not just travel with less items?" I asked.

Vice

We have amended our descriptions of this throughout the paper, and excised all references to having less item-specific information at 400ms.

eLife

One respondent stated that he therefore needed to keep less items in stock.

BMC Health Services Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity and grammatical accuracy, replace the phrase "less item" with "fewer items" or "smaller quantity", depending on whether you are referring to countable or uncountable nouns.

Common error

Avoid using "less" when referring to countable items. "Less" is typically used with uncountable nouns (e.g. less water, less time), while "fewer" is used with countable nouns (e.g. fewer cars, fewer books). Therefore, "fewer items" is grammatically correct.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less item" functions as a noun phrase where "less" acts as a determiner intending to modify the noun "item". However, this usage is generally considered grammatically incorrect, as noted by Ludwig AI. The correct form is typically "fewer items" when referring to countable items.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "less item" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI points out, it's better to use phrases like "fewer items" (for countable nouns) or "smaller quantity" (for uncountable nouns) to convey the intended meaning more accurately. While the phrase appears in some online sources, its usage is infrequent and can be misleading. Therefore, it's recommended to avoid using "less item" in formal writing and opt for grammatically correct alternatives. The phrase appears rarely across News & Media, Science and Wiki based on Ludwig's analysis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fewer items

Replaces the non-count noun modifier "less" with "fewer" to correctly modify the plural noun "items".

smaller quantity

Substitutes "less item" with a standard phrase indicating a reduced amount.

reduced amount

Offers a different wording to convey the idea of a decrease in quantity.

lower number of items

More explicitly states that the numerical count of items is reduced.

a smaller selection

Focuses on the variety or range of items being smaller.

a reduced inventory

Suggests a decrease in the stock or supply of items.

a lighter load

Metaphorically refers to having fewer things to manage or carry.

a decrease in quantity

Emphasizes the action of diminishing the amount.

a scarcity of items

Highlights the limited availability or shortage of items.

a shortage of supply

Focuses on the limited stock or insufficient provision of items.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to use "less item"?

No, the phrase "less item" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. "Less" is typically used with uncountable nouns, while "fewer" should be used with countable nouns like items. Use "fewer items" instead.

What's a better alternative to the phrase "less item"?

A more grammatically sound alternative to "less item" is "fewer items" if you are referring to a countable number of things. If you are referring to an amount, consider using "smaller quantity".

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

You can use "fewer items" in sentences such as: "We need to stock "fewer items" this month to reduce our inventory" or "Traveling with "fewer items" can make your trip much easier".

What is the difference between "less item" and "fewer items"?

"Less" is used with uncountable nouns (e.g., less water, less money), while "fewer" is used with countable nouns (e.g., "fewer items", fewer people). "Less item" is not grammatically correct; instead, use "fewer items" when discussing a reduced number of things.