less than five time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less than five time" is not correct in English.
It should be "less than five times." You can use it when referring to a quantity that is fewer than five occurrences of something. Example: "I have visited that museum less than five times in my life."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This usually yielded regressions based on no less than five time points and an r of 0.999, with rare cases of an r < 0.99.

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Repton's name appears no less than five times in Mansfield Park.

The Guardian - Books

The stock is trading at less than five times this year's earnings.

The New York Times

It trades at less than five times estimated earnings for the company's next fiscal year.

The New York Times

She said she had taken Plan B "less than five times" this year.

The New York Times

In fact, he repeated this line — "Barack Obama is a friend of coal" — no less than five times in 10 minutes.

The New York Times - Magazine

All measurements were repeated no less than five times.

Botanical Studies

The Japanese holding companies that Templeton owned were trading at less than five times earnings.

Forbes

Grant: Some profitable companies selling at less than five times earnings are Tenneco Automotive and Sino-Forest.

Forbes

Typhoons struck this area less than five times per year from 2005 to 2011 (measured by the Japan Meteorological Agency [JMA]).

Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

The intended armament of Achilles changed no less than five times before it was finally mounted.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "times" after a number when indicating frequency. The correct phrasing is "less than five times" or "fewer than five times."

Common error

Remember to use "fewer" instead of "less" when referring to countable items. "Less" is for uncountable nouns (e.g., less water), while "fewer" is for countable nouns (e.g., fewer visits).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less than five time" is intended to function as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb, aiming to describe the frequency of an action. However, the incorrect use of "time" instead of "times" undermines its grammatical correctness. According to Ludwig, this phrase is not correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

38%

News & Media

59%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less than five time" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "less than five times" or "fewer than five times". This aims to express a frequency below a certain threshold. While the intended meaning is clear, the grammatical error affects its acceptability in formal contexts. As noted by Ludwig, it is not grammatically correct. When referring to countable instances, "fewer than" is preferred. Accurate and effective alternatives are phrases like "under five times" or "not more than four times".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fewer than five times

Replaces "less than" with "fewer than", which is grammatically correct when referring to countable instances.

under five times

Uses "under" to indicate a quantity below five, providing a more concise alternative.

not more than four times

Specifies the upper limit of frequency more precisely, excluding five occurrences.

at most four times

Emphasizes the maximum possible number of occurrences.

a maximum of four times

Adds more emphasis on the "maximum" quantity of events

no more than four instances

Replaces "times" with "instances" to vary the vocabulary while maintaining the same meaning.

on fewer than five occasions

Uses "occasions" instead of "times", offering a more formal tone.

in fewer than five instances

Replaces "times" with "instances" and uses "in" for a slightly different phrasing.

less frequently than five times

Focuses on the frequency aspect, indicating that the occurrence is not common.

seldom more than four times

Replaces "less than" with "seldom", highlighting the infrequency of the event.

FAQs

How do I correctly express a frequency that is lower than a specific number?

To correctly express a frequency lower than five, use "fewer than five times" or "less than five times". For example, "I visited the museum "fewer than five times" this year."

Is it grammatically correct to say "less than five time"?

No, it is not grammatically correct. The correct phrasing is "less than five times" or, preferably, "fewer than five times" when referring to countable instances.

What's the difference between "less than five times" and "fewer than five times"?

"Less than five times" is commonly used, but "fewer than five times" is grammatically more precise when referring to countable occurrences. Use ""fewer than five times"" for formal writing.

What are some alternatives to "less than five times"?

Alternatives include "under five times", "at most four times", or "not more than four times", depending on the desired level of formality and precision.