lesser than expected

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lesser than expected" is not correct in standard written English; the correct form is "less than expected." You can use it when discussing outcomes or results that did not meet anticipated levels or standards.
Example: "The sales figures for this quarter were less than expected, prompting a review of our marketing strategy."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

An adversary can remove the independent noise from the correlated time-series by utilizing a refinement method (e.g., filtering), resulting in a lesser than expected effective degree of privacy.

Knowledge-Based Systems

A lesser than expected number of confirmed entrants to the event mean that the planned semi-final round for the event has been cancelled, so Child has a day to recover before Thursday's final.

BBC

For the subset of variables that are subject to participant variability, further analyses using polytomous logistic regression will compare service provided by degree of disability and diagnosis to identify factors associated with greater or lesser than expected use of services predicted by LIFEspan.

BMC Pediatrics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

German business confidence continued to rise in July, albeit to a lesser extent than expected.

The New York Times

The lack of shrubs and dwarf shrubs indicated that the long distance from seed sources retarded vegetation succession within the Breiðamerkurjökull moraines, which in turn affected the soil development on the moraines, although perhaps to a lesser degree than expected.

Geoderma

The treatment dose of AlPcS2a was found to influence on the efficacy of PCI of saporin, but to a lesser extent than expected considering the data from cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking of Alexa488-dextran.

Biochemical Pharmacology

Assuming pathogen spread is in part deterministic, arising from specific causes rather than by chance alone, localities with greater and lesser dispersion than expected may be more exposed to, or protected from, new strains of the disease under investigation.

Plosone

Signal transduction related-proteins were also enriched in this core proteome, but to a lesser extent than expected from what usually observed in animal systems.

BMC Plant Biology

The fluorescence changes observed during the binding of the peptides to the hASLLys3UUU are to a lesser degree than expected for fluorescein stacking or intercalating with nucleobases of a duplex stem.

Biochemistry

The reason for a lesser weight loss than expected from UGE and a plateauing of weight loss after ~3 6 months of therapy is not known, but it has been suggested that this likely could be related to a compensatory increased energy intake since these drugs do not affect either resting or meal-induced energy expenditure.

Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research

They further found, in addition to a lesser-than-expected decrease in 5-mC in intergenic regions, that more than 2000 genes having lost hydroxymethylcytosine were more methylated in melanoma cells than in normal melanocytes.

Briefings in Functional Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity and correctness, replace "lesser than expected" with the standard form "less than expected". It ensures your writing adheres to established grammatical norms and enhances readability.

Common error

Avoid using "lesser than expected"; instead, use "less than expected". "Lesser" is an adjective meaning smaller or of less importance, while "less" is used for uncountable nouns or in comparative constructions to indicate a smaller amount or degree.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lesser than expected" is intended as a comparative, but functions incorrectly due to the misuse of 'lesser'. It aims to express a degree or amount that is lower than what was anticipated. Ludwig AI indicates the grammatically correct version is "less than expected".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "lesser than expected" is flagged by Ludwig AI as grammatically incorrect; the standard form is "less than expected". While the intent is to express that something is below anticipated levels, using "lesser" is inaccurate. This analysis indicates that although the phrase appears in various contexts like news and science, it should be corrected to maintain grammatical accuracy and clarity. To improve your writing, always use "less than expected" and consider alternatives like "below expectations" or "lower than anticipated" for professional or formal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

below expectations

This alternative directly indicates a failure to meet established expectations or targets.

lower than anticipated

This suggests the outcome was not as high as previously predicted or estimated.

fell short of expectations

This phrase emphasizes the gap between the actual result and what was hoped for.

did not meet expectations

A straightforward way to say that the expected standard was not achieved.

underperformed

This verb form indicates a failure to perform as well as expected.

less than forecast

Indicates the actual value is lower than the predicted forecast.

disappointing results

Focuses on the feeling of disappointment caused by the results.

not up to par

Suggests that the outcome didn't meet the required standard or quality.

failed to deliver

Emphasizes a failure to provide the expected outcome or results.

under the mark

This idiom means that something didn't reach the required standard.

FAQs

What's the difference between "lesser than expected" and "less than expected"?

"Lesser" is an adjective indicating something of reduced importance or size. The correct phrasing is "less than expected", where "less" functions as a determiner indicating a smaller amount or degree.

How can I rephrase "lesser than expected" to sound more professional?

For professional contexts, use alternatives such as "below expectations", "lower than anticipated", or "did not meet expectations". These options provide clarity and maintain a formal tone.

Is "lesser than expected" grammatically correct?

No, "lesser than expected" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. The proper form is "less than expected".

When is it appropriate to use "less than expected"?

Use "less than expected" when discussing outcomes or results that did not reach the anticipated level or standard. For example, "The turnout was less than expected, so we're adjusting our plans."