lesser difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lesser difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a task or situation that is easier compared to another. Example: "The exam had a section of lesser difficulty that allowed students to gain confidence before tackling the more challenging questions."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Because Rasch analysis is based on Guttman scaling, a patient's endorsement of any item implies her endorsement of less difficult items (i.e., items of lesser difficulty or lower on the domain).

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Furthermore, in the treated patients of the study of Ben-Dov et al. (13), the clinic and ambulatory blood pressure values might have reflected the greater or the lesser difficulty of the drugs used to control "in-office" and "out-of-office" blood pressure, possibly because of a difference in the baseline cardiovascular risk.

Diabetes Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Some lesser-known difficulties Dyspareunia One of the pain syndromes associated with sex, its symptoms are persistent genital pain during intercourse.

Independent

Items answered by guessing, indicate that the respondent's ability is lesser than its difficulty.

Columbia University

Firstly, all of the participants were well-educated and therefore they may have been able to perform this task with a lesser degree of difficulty than an older adult who was not as well educated.

BMC Geriatrics

Let's start with the task of carrying out the economic reforms, which may be the lesser of the difficulties facing Tsipras.

The New Yorker

In conclusion, deprivation is associated with reported psychological distress and, to a lesser extent, social difficulties.

British Journal of Cancer

We found that lower quality of life, lower exercise self-efficacy, leaving the house on fewer days, and, to a lesser extent, mobility difficulties outdoors and lower expectations of benefits of exercise were potential mediators between falls or FOF and activity levels.

BMC Geriatrics

24 25 Lesser degrees of oculomotor difficulty affecting both smooth pursuit and saccades have been described in children with all distributions of CP 26.

Archives of Disease in Childhood

The items most commonly left missing pertained to work limitations, alcohol limitations, overall positive impact and, to a lesser extent, overall confidence, difficulty in managing anticoagulation, and whether the subject would recommend their current model of anticoagulation to others.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

The cost of taking care of babies born prematurely or with birth defects is enormous, even with lesser defects like breathing difficulties.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the relative difficulty of tasks or problems, use "lesser difficulty" to clearly indicate a reduced level of challenge compared to something else. For example, "The first stage of the project presented a "lesser difficulty" than the second."

Common error

Avoid using "less" instead of "lesser" when referring to difficulty. "Lesser" implies a comparative degree of something, whereas "less" generally refers to a quantity. Therefore, use "lesser difficulty" to correctly indicate a lower degree of difficulty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lesser difficulty" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun (often implied). It indicates a lower degree of challenge or complexity compared to something else. Ludwig AI confirms its usability, as seen in the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "lesser difficulty" is a grammatically sound phrase used to denote a reduced level of challenge, as supported by Ludwig AI's analysis. Though relatively infrequent in occurrence, it finds utility across scientific and journalistic domains. When writing, be sure to employ "lesser difficulty" for comparisons, and not confuse it with "less". Alternatives like "easier difficulty" can be considered for variety. This phrase serves to describe and contrast the ease of particular tasks or problems.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Easier difficulty

Replaces "lesser" with "easier", directly indicating a reduced level of difficulty.

Reduced difficulty

Focuses on the reduction of difficulty, implying a task is now less challenging.

Lower level of difficulty

Specifies that the difficulty is at a lower level or degree.

Minimal difficulty

Indicates that the difficulty is very small or almost non-existent.

Slight difficulty

Suggests the difficulty is present but only to a small degree.

Easier challenge

Substitutes "difficulty" with "challenge", maintaining a similar meaning of a less demanding task.

More manageable difficulty

Emphasizes that the difficulty is easier to handle or control.

Less complex difficulty

Focuses on the reduced complexity of the difficulty, implying it's simpler to address.

Simplified difficulty

Indicates that the difficulty has been made simpler or easier to overcome.

Trivial difficulty

Suggests that the difficulty is so small as to be almost insignificant.

FAQs

How can I use "lesser difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "lesser difficulty" to compare the challenges of different tasks. For example, "Completing the initial setup presents "lesser difficulty" than managing the ongoing maintenance."

What are some alternatives to "lesser difficulty"?

Alternatives include "easier difficulty", "reduced difficulty", or "lower level of difficulty", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "less difficulty" instead of "lesser difficulty"?

While "less difficulty" might be understood, "lesser difficulty" is more precise when indicating a degree or comparison of difficulty. "Less" typically refers to quantity, whereas "lesser" indicates degree or importance.

What is the difference between "lesser difficulty" and "minimal difficulty"?

"Lesser difficulty" suggests a comparative reduction in the challenge, whereas "minimal difficulty" implies that the level of challenge is very small or almost nonexistent.