less longer than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less longer than" is not correct in English.
It is a confusing construction that combines "less" and "longer," which are contradictory in this context. Example: "This task takes less longer than the previous one."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"This generation will actually be the first generation that lives less longer than their parents," Mr. Waller said.

The New York Times

In exploratory analyses, we evaluated whether the association with lymphedema for each of the variables in the final multivariable model differed by timing of lymphedema onset; to do this, we created an interaction term using a time-dependent indicator for follow-up (12 months or less, longer than 12 months).

Breast Cancer Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

This "inverse care law" has been further examined by Furler et al who demonstrated that patients in "lower socioeconomic areas receive less longer consultations than those in more advantaged areas" [ 55].

BMC Health Services Research

For instance, sometimes more (shorter) matches can be encoded more efficiently than less (longer) matches.

Algorithms for Molecular Biology

And a few years ago, all of this hard work paid off, and scientists here at Argonne helped create a lithium ion battery that costs less, lasts longer than any that had come before".

Science Magazine

The HAART group was further split into two sub-groupings, i.e. HAART for less and longer than three years, respectively.

BMC Infectious Diseases

The time on sick leave is grouped in three periods of length: not at all, 14 days or less and longer than 14 days.

BMC Family Practice

Stratifying for prior OGLD use for less or longer than 1 year did not change this point estimate nor did adjustment for prior days of OGLD used change the point estimates by more than 10%.

Diabetologia

The computational time of the hybrid model is less than 5% longer than the CBM for the case considering transmission constraints.

Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy

To obtain an azimuth resolution in the order of 3 m or less, dwell times longer than 5 min are required [26].

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

The first prognostic factor is the duration of sick leave (less than or longer than 3 months).

BMC Public Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "less longer than". Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives such as "shorter than" or "not as long as" to maintain clarity and precision in your writing.

Common error

The phrase "less longer than" combines two comparative forms ("less" and "longer"), creating a double comparative. This is grammatically incorrect. Choose one comparative form, such as using "shorter than" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less longer than" functions as a comparative, but is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI indicates it's not a standard or correct construction. Its intended function is to compare the duration or length of two items, but it fails due to the improper combination of comparatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "less longer than" is considered grammatically incorrect due to its double comparative structure. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. Although some instances appear in diverse sources like News and Science, it's advisable to use alternatives such as "shorter than" or "not as long as" for clearer and more accurate communication. These alternatives avoid grammatical errors and are more widely accepted in both formal and informal contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shorter than

Emphasizes a smaller length instead of incorrectly combining "less" and "longer".

not as long as

Provides a more standard way to express that something has a smaller length or duration.

of shorter duration than

Uses a formal tone and emphasizes the time aspect.

smaller length than

Directly refers to physical length using appropriate comparative phrasing.

not quite as lengthy as

Replaces "long" with "lengthy", offering a slightly different nuance.

a shorter period than

Specifically refers to a period of time, clarifying the context.

not exceeding the length of

Offers a formal and precise alternative.

not as extended as

Focuses on the idea of something not being as prolonged or stretched out.

measuring less in length than

Emphasizes the measurable aspect of length.

with a shorter timespan than

Highlights the timeframe involved and uses correct grammatical structure.

FAQs

What is wrong with the phrase "less longer than"?

The phrase "less longer than" is grammatically incorrect because it uses a double comparative, combining "less" and "longer" which are both comparative forms. It's best to use a single, correct comparative phrase.

What can I say instead of "less longer than"?

You can use alternatives like "shorter than" or "not as long as" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "less longer than" or "shorter than"?

Shorter than is the correct and grammatically sound choice. "Less longer than" is not considered standard English.

When is it appropriate to use "less longer than"?

The phrase "less longer than" is generally not appropriate in formal or standard English. It is better to use "shorter than" or "not as long as" in almost all contexts.