less reference

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less reference" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to convey a reduction in the amount of reference material or citations, but it is not a commonly used expression. Example: "In this section, I will provide less reference to previous studies to focus on new findings."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

As time passes, she makes less reference to him and we are privy to her thoughts shifting almost imperceptibly into their own new shapes, leaving his influence behind.

The Guardian - Books

If less reference sensors are used, it is highly preferred to distribute the roving sensors uniformly over the structure instead of clustering them.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

Assuming correlations between post S2 CNV resolution and reference memory capacity (negative) as well as CNV amplitude and reference memory capacity (positive), no correlations were expected to be found between these CNV measures and performance in less reference memory related temporal tasks.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

However, in Group 1, whose continuations answered the "What happened next?" question favoring Occasion/Result continuations and greater facilitation of reference to the Goal, there was significantly less reference to the subject of S1 46 % and a much higher rate of reference to the Goal 54 %, as tabulated in 24.

Lingua Sinica

Using an Oculus Rift headset attached to a Leap Motion sensor and a mechanical treadmill, the Loop player walks through Wagner's virtual worlds, where they are confronted with various scenes and surroundings that more or less reference real objects and scenery in the form of "system simulations".

Vice

If inclusion of more or less reference genes has little or no effect on Vn/n+1 value, NF will become insensitive to stepwise inclusion of these reference genes and approach a relatively stable status with a minimal Vn/n+1 value.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

"In my second show, I made a joke about there being less references to the film and there was audible disappointment".

The Guardian

In comparison, Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 18th edition had more tables, less references and no significant difference in number of graphs, images, illustrations or readability level.

BMJ Open

The comparison between the Wikipedia entries and the Textbook (table 4) shows that Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 18th Edition had more tables, less references and no significant difference in number of graphs, images, illustrations or readability level.

BMJ Open

Its label-less reference to girls kissing girls, unlike in "I Kissed a Girl," simultaneously and awesomely endorses women's sexual exploration andtakes it seriously.

Huffington Post

Boxed segments were pre-aligned to a future-less reference cylinder centred into the image box (Figure 1B).

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for conciseness, replace "less reference" with alternatives like "fewer references" or "reduced referencing" for clarity.

Common error

Don't use "less reference" when you mean "fewer references" (countable nouns) or "reduced referencing" (general decrease). Clarity is key.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less reference" functions as a noun phrase, though often used incorrectly. It attempts to describe a decrease in the act of referencing or the amount of reference material. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is not a standard expression and can be grammatically awkward.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less reference" is used to indicate a decrease in the amount of referencing or the frequency with which something is mentioned. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is not considered grammatically correct in standard written English. More appropriate alternatives include "fewer references" (for countable instances) or "reduced referencing" (for the act in general). While examples can be found in academic, news, and media contexts, writers should aim for greater clarity and grammatical precision by using the recommended alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fewer references

Focuses specifically on the quantity of references cited.

reduced referencing

Highlights the action of decreasing the amount of referencing.

decreased citation

Emphasizes the reduction in the number of citations.

lower frequency of mention

Shifts the focus to how often something is mentioned.

diminished relevance

Highlights a decrease in importance or connection.

less frequent citing

Focuses on the act of citing happening less often.

scarcer referencing

Implies that references are becoming more rare or limited.

minimal reference

Suggests that only a very small amount of referencing is present.

limited allusions

Specifies that the number of allusions has been reduced.

infrequent citation

Highlights that the citation is happening infrequently.

FAQs

What does "less reference" mean?

The phrase "less reference" is generally used to indicate a reduced amount of citing or alluding to something. However, it's often more grammatically correct to say "fewer references" or "reduced referencing" depending on the specific context.

How can I use "less reference" correctly in a sentence?

While not ideal, "less reference" might be used to imply a general decrease in the act of referencing. It's better to use clearer alternatives like "fewer references" if referring to countable items or "reduced referencing" for a general decrease.

What are some alternatives to using "less reference"?

Better alternatives include "fewer references", "reduced referencing", or "diminished relevance", depending on the intended meaning.

Is it grammatically correct to say "less reference"?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "less reference" is not correct in standard written English. It is recommended to use alternatives such as "fewer references" or "reduced references".