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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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less referred

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less referred" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically intended to convey that something is mentioned or referenced infrequently, but the construction is awkward. Example: "This topic is less referred to in academic discussions compared to others."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"One of the greatest artists who comes to mind in the past and present history of music," is how Berlioz, no less, referred to her in his review of the premiere of Meyerbeer's opera Le Prophète, in which the role of the heroine had been composed especially for Viardot to sing.

Folks like President Wilson (a historian, no less) referred admiringly to "The Birth of a Nation" as "like writing history with lightning," but it didn't take most people long to identify the film's grotesque racism.

News & Media

Los Angeles Times

Because of this lower utilization threshold, women present with less typical symptoms and are consequently less referred.

This might be an indication that patients who do not speak Dutch are less referred to home care.

Under-fives' preventive clinics in Niger are often of such quality that even at that level, malnutrition is seldom diagnosed and even less referred.

Participants 3170 children (1422 girls and 1748 boys) aged 12 years or less referred from territory-wide primary care clinics after daily consumption for one month or more of milk products tainted with melamine.

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Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Think of words as being like these holes: so saudade might mean something slightly more than homesickness, whereas dépaysement means something less, referring only to that kind of homesickness you get from being in a foreign country.

Generally speaking, you want your passport to be valid for at least six months after entering a foreign country, though some nations will let you get away with less; refer to the State Department's website for full details, organized by country.

News & Media

Huffington Post

Lessing referred to the people of Zimbabwe as "the most passionate readers anywhere in the world".

Each of the past three weeks, we've been seeing less and less traffic referred.

News & Media

TechCrunch

Customarily, when land is subdivided, a subdivision of four lots or less is referred to as a minor subdivision and as such requires less scrutiny by planning agencies and health departments than subdivisions of five lots or more.

News & Media

The New York Times
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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for clearer and more common alternatives like "less frequently mentioned" or "not often referenced" for improved readability and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using the passive construction "less referred" as it sounds unnatural. Instead, rephrase the sentence to use a more direct and active voice, such as "is mentioned less often".

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

80%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less referred" functions as a passive construction, typically used to indicate that something receives less attention or is mentioned with lower frequency. However, it's not considered standard English. Ludwig AI shows that it may appear in various contexts, but it's often better to use alternative phrasing.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

37%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less referred" is used to express that something is mentioned or directed with lower frequency. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically questionable and not standard English. While understandable, it's recommended to use clearer alternatives such as "less frequently mentioned" or "not often referenced" for improved clarity and grammatical correctness. Although present in various contexts, especially in Science and News & Media, using more standard alternatives is advisable for professional communication. Therefore, it's important to consider context and audience when choosing the most appropriate phrasing.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "less referred" for better clarity?

Consider using alternatives such as "less frequently mentioned", "not often referenced", or "mentioned less often" for improved grammatical correctness and readability.

Is "less referred" grammatically correct in English?

While understandable, "less referred" is not considered standard English. It's better to use phrases like "less frequently mentioned" or "not often referenced".

What's a more formal way to say "less referred"?

For a more formal tone, you could use "rarely cited" if you're referring to academic or research contexts, or "not often referenced" in general.

Can you provide an example of how to use "less frequently mentioned" instead of "less referred"?

Instead of saying, "This study is less referred to in recent literature", you could say, "This study is less frequently mentioned in recent literature".

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Most frequent sentences: