less patients than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less patients than" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form should be "fewer patients than," as "patients" is a countable noun. Example: "The clinic has fewer patients than it did last year."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The limitation of this study is that the final analyses included less patients than initially calculated.

BMJ Open

Less patients than controls reported having very close or close friends (62% vs.100%; p < 0.01).

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Less patients than controls indicated having had sexual intercourse (67% vs. 97%, p < 0.05).

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Although not significant on a statistical level less patients than controls reported being visited at home at least weekly (46% vs. 69%).

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Empirical evidence from high-income countries shows that female physicians work fewer hours, particularly at a younger age, see less patients than their male peers [ 10], are less inclined to work in rural areas [ 11] and concentrate disproportionally in "soft" specialties [ 7, 8].

Human Resources for Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

I get the idea that Lloyd is a little less patient than that.

The Guardian - Arts

The bank also has several vacancies coming up that may be filled by people less patient than Ms Yellen.

The Economist

There was never a truer epithet applied to a certain individual than that of the 'Gorilla.'" Others were far less patient than Lincoln.

The New York Times

So, with 11 days for the journey — Odysseus took 10 years, but my wife, Jean, is less patient than his Penelope — I left Troy to find out.

The New York Times - Travel

Greece were less patient than Russia in their build-up with 39% of their passes hit forward as opposed Russia's 30%.

BBC

So you're less patient than you'd like.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "fewer" when referring to countable nouns like "patients". For example, use "fewer patients than last year" instead of "less patients than last year".

Common error

Avoid using "less" with countable nouns; "less" is for uncountable nouns (e.g., "less water"). Always use "fewer" with countable nouns like patients, apples, or books to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less patients than" functions as a comparative, aiming to express a smaller quantity of patients relative to another group. However, Ludwig AI points out that the grammatically correct form uses "fewer" with countable nouns such as patients.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

66%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "less patients than" is used in various sources, Ludwig AI analysis indicates it is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "fewer patients than", as "patients" is a countable noun. This distinction is important for maintaining grammatical accuracy, particularly in formal and scientific writing. While the intention is generally to compare patient quantities, opting for the grammatically correct phrase ensures clarity and credibility. It's always best to prioritize grammatical accuracy when comparing countable entities.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fewer patients than

Replaces "less" with "fewer" to adhere to standard grammar rules for countable nouns.

a smaller number of patients than

Substitutes the original phrase with a more descriptive and grammatically correct alternative emphasizing quantity.

not as many patients as

Replaces the original phrase with a clearer comparison using "as many as."

there are not as many patients as

Similar to "not as many patients as", but with a slightly different sentence structure.

a reduced patient count compared to

Expresses a similar meaning by focusing on the patient count reduction.

lower patient numbers than

Uses "lower" to indicate a decrease in the number of patients.

a decline in patients compared with

Focuses on the decline in patients, offering a slightly different perspective.

the patient population is smaller than

Highlights the size of the patient population, providing a different angle.

there has been a decrease in patient volume relative to

Focuses on change in volume of patients instead of simple comparison.

patient numbers are down compared to

Informal way of conveying fewer patients than

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "less patients than"?

The grammatically correct way to say "less patients than" is "fewer patients than". "Fewer" should be used with countable nouns.

When should I use "fewer" instead of "less"?

"Fewer" should be used with countable nouns (things you can count individually), while "less" should be used with uncountable nouns (things you can't count individually). For example, "fewer patients" but "less water".

What are some alternatives to saying "less patients than"?

Instead of "less patients than", you can say "not as many patients as", "a smaller number of patients than", or simply "fewer patients than".

Is "less patients" ever correct?

No, "less patients" is generally not considered correct in standard English. The correct phrasing is "fewer patients". Use "less" only with uncountable nouns, such as "less time" or "less effort".