less wide than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less wide than" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when comparing the width of two objects or spaces. An example is: "This table is less wide than that one." Alternative expressions include "narrower than" and "not as wide as."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

The area is less wide than a city sidewalk.

The New York Times

The H2 is shorter than the Lexus 470, and less wide than the Lincoln Navigator.

The New York Times

Less wide than fisheyes, they still capture a lot of territory and because of the short focal length, they can keep the foreground and background in focus at the same time.

The New York Times - Tech

But the front edges are still aggressively sharp, and while it's less wide than the iPhone 6 Plus (the 5.5in model) it's also thicker, which means you can't stretch your hand around it (say, to hold and swipe) as on the larger screen.

The Guardian - Tech

The designer explained that it was only as technology advanced and designs could be iterated that Apple reached a point where it was happy with the size and feel of the device, insisting that "it's very important to make the edges comfortable, to feel less wide than it really is".

The Guardian - Tech

Oddly, the 13-inch Pro is actually slightly less wide than the 13-inch Air.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

The moveable part, or cursor, is made of a piece of card slightly less wider than the stock and it has a much thicker square piece of card super-glued to it and this has a black Biro line drawn across it".

The Guardian - Books

The play calling was less wide open than it was last season, and maybe less than it would have been if Brady were healthy.

The New York Times - Sports

They go very deep and explode deep underground so they tend to leave deeper but less wide craters than other bombs".

The Guardian

Moreover, the consequences of pseudopolyandry are likely to be far less wide ranging than those of true polyandry.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

This makes him an excellent foil — better and less wide-eyed than Elijah Wood was, in "The Lord of the Rings" — to McKellen's Gandalf, with whose lengthy, growling vowels we are already familiar.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer this phrase in scientific or formal contexts to avoid the potentially subjective or metaphorical implications of the word "narrow".

Common error

Avoid the redundant construction "less wider than". Since "less" already establishes the comparison, it must be paired with the base adjective "wide".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less wide than" functions as a comparative adjective phrase. It is used to quantify the horizontal dimension of an object or space by indicating that it possesses a smaller width relative to another reference point. According to Ludwig, it allows for a specific focus on the attribute of width without the potential connotations of the single-word alternative "narrower".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

40%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less wide than" is a highly effective and grammatically correct way to contrast the width of two entities. Ludwig analysis shows that it is a staple in news reporting, product reviews and scientific literature. By providing 18 exact matches from high-authority sources like The New York Times and various research journals, Ludwig AI confirms its status as a common and reliable comparative tool. While "narrower than" is a valid and more concise alternative, "less wide than" offers a level of descriptive precision that is often preferred in technical contexts to ensure the focus remains strictly on physical dimensions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

narrower than

Uses the standard comparative form of the adjective narrow.

not as wide as

A common comparative construction using a negative correlative.

not so wide as

A slightly more traditional or literary version of not as wide as.

less broad than

Uses broad as a synonym for wide, often applied to spans or ranges.

smaller in width than

Explicitly identifies the dimension being compared in a formal way.

of lesser width than

A more formal prepositional phrase emphasizing the noun width.

slimmer than

Often carries a connotation of being thin or sleek, frequently used for technology.

more narrow than

An alternative comparative form, though less frequent than narrower.

thinner than

May refer to width or thickness depending on the orientation of the object.

tighter than

Used when width implies a constraint or fitting.

FAQs

How to use "less wide than" in a sentence?

You can use it to compare the horizontal dimensions of two objects, for example: "The new smartphone is slightly "less wide than" the previous model, making it easier to hold."

What can I say instead of "less wide than"?

Depending on your context, you can use alternatives like "narrower than", "not as wide as", or "less broad than".

Which is correct, "less wide than" or "less wider than"?

"less wide than" is the correct form. Using "less wider than" is a grammatical error known as a double comparative, as both "less" and "wider" are comparative markers.

What is the difference between "less wide than" and "narrower than"?

While both indicate a smaller width, "narrower than" is the most common and concise form. "less wide than" is often chosen in technical writing to emphasize the specific measurement of width itself.