less proportion of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less proportion of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when talking about a smaller quantity of something in comparison to another quantity. For example, "The flu vaccine is not as effective in adults over 65, who have a less proportion of antibodies."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Thane city is within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) where public transport is heavily used, thus has relatively less proportion of two-wheelers compared to other three intersections.

Journal of Modern Transportation

However, the research has seldom focused on the Prairie Provinces in Canada, especially for the city with less proportion of population.

Environmental Systems Research

Similarly, Suárez Alonso et al. (2010) found that in late summers, with high temperatures and less proportion of gonads occupied by gametes, a rise in atresic oocytes in mussels was produced, indicating the end of the gametogenic cycle.

International Aquatic Research

Although permeate flux of ultrafiltration membrane was larger at the optimal-doing than that of under-dosing, the less proportion of irreversible fouling and large proportion of reversible fouling were proved that under-dosing strategy has more meaningful engineering application value for deep investigation.

Journal of Membrane Science

With regard to control variables, similar to prior evidence, firms with higher leverage show less proportion of short-term debt (at the 1% level), whereas those firms that generate more cash flows show a higher proportion of short-term debt (at the 5% level).

SERIEs

For the regions showing non-selective responses, the situation was similar to those regions highly selective to airflow off, except that the α lobe also had significantly less proportion of area showing non-selective responses compared to the α' and γ lobes (P<0.05, One-way ANOVA, post hoc Tukey HSD; Fig. 6F).

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

With the height of the low index gaps increasing in the dropping area of the curves, the confinement becomes weaker and less proportions of mode are confined in the low index gaps, resulting in an increased loss.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Even it is not possible to directly compare chemotherapy alone with its combination with radiation, docetaxel plus oxaliplatin reported less toxicities and less proportions of deaths due to adverse events than its triple combination with capacitabine in a recent randomized phase II trial [ 18].

BMC Cancer

Here, softer UFM regions (some marked with arrows in Fig. 7a, b) appear in less proportion than in the cases of TiN coatings produced with less sputtering power.

Nanoscale Research Letters

The termination rate caps apply only to calls, which are likely to account for a less significant proportion of mobile phone companies' revenues over the next four years, added Ofcom.

Independent

Britain is not necessarily becoming more godless – in the same period, the number of Muslims grew by a million, amounting to 2.4% of the population – just less the proportion of Anglicans.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing proportions, ensure the context clearly identifies what the proportions are relative to. For instance, "The study found a "less proportion of" smokers in the intervention group compared to the control group."

Common error

Avoid implying a general decrease without specifying what the "less proportion of" refers to. Incorrect: "There's a "less proportion of" interest in the topic." Correct: "There's a "less proportion of" students showing interest in the topic this year compared to last year."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less proportion of" functions as a modifier indicating a smaller quantity or share relative to a whole or another quantity. It acts as a prepositional phrase modifying a noun. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "less proportion of" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to denote a smaller share or quantity of something. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is appropriate for use in written English. It is most frequently found in scientific and news contexts, where precise quantification is crucial. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying what the proportion is relative to. While "smaller amount of" and "lower percentage of" are valid alternatives, "less proportion of" provides a specific emphasis on the relative size of a part compared to the whole.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slighter portion of

Similar to "less proportion", but uses "slighter".

lower percentage of

Uses percentage to indicate a smaller share.

smaller amount of

Focuses on the quantity being smaller, rather than the share.

reduced quantity of

Emphasizes the reduction in quantity.

inferior share of

Conveys a lower or subordinate share.

diminished fraction of

Implies a smaller part of a whole.

minimal fraction of

Stresses the very small size of the fraction.

decreased incidence of

Describes a reduction in the rate or occurrence.

minor segment of

Indicates a small portion or section.

thinner slice of

Uses the metaphor of a slice to represent a smaller share.

FAQs

How can I use "less proportion of" in a sentence?

Use "less proportion of" to indicate a smaller amount or share of something compared to a whole or another group. For example: "The study showed a "less proportion of" patients experiencing side effects."

What is a good alternative to "less proportion of"?

You can use alternatives like "smaller amount of", "lower percentage of", or "reduced quantity of" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "fewer proportion of" instead of "less proportion of"?

While "fewer" is typically used for countable nouns, "less" is generally used for uncountable nouns or abstract quantities. "Less proportion of" is generally accepted, though rephrasing might improve clarity in some contexts.

What's the difference between "less proportion of" and "smaller proportion of"?

"Less proportion of" and "smaller proportion of" are largely interchangeable. "Smaller proportion of" might sound slightly more natural to some speakers, but both are grammatically correct.