litter

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "litter" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to trash or waste that is improperly disposed of in public places. Example: "The park was filled with litter after the festival, prompting the community to organize a cleanup."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Verdict: FMNR is an inexpensive way for farmers to make improvements with the resources they already have, increasing millet harvests from 430kg to 750kg a hectare, and saving money on fertilisers, with restored trees producing leaf litter (forming humus) and giving shade to livestock (for manure).

The Guardian

Since we allowed this, over 14,000 offences have been successfully matched to over 8,000 suspects including over 100 murders and 100 rapes - and as far as I am aware, no one is on the database for dropping litter!

The Guardian - Opinion

It's partly because they're filled with holes, telephone boxes, grates, craters, broken glass, trees, pedestrians, parked cars, waiting cabs and litter bins; but mostly because they stop and start suddenly, up on high kerbs, so to get off the road and on to them safely I'd have to master some nifty manoeuvre to do with quantum bi-location, atomic wormholes and halting earth time.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Under the SOCPA, a person can be arrested for any offence - even dropping litter.

The Guardian - Opinion

One of the buildings' common areas has a pile of litter; a resident who's showing me around says, "People here have lived amidst garbage.

The Guardian

Lately, it's like Chigley, only with vastly more litter, pollution and personal trainers.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The 25% of people who drop litter enrage the rest of us, because there's nothing much we can do.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

One teargas grenade thrown back by a protester landed on a pile of litter beside a library, igniting a small fire.

The Guardian

The Fabians' solution to stemming the Ukip tide was a combination of switching to community-based campaigning on doorstop issues like "like pay day loan and betting shops, litter picks and night safety campaigns", to national policy focus on cost of living, housing ringfences for local people, or introducing the contributory principle to welfare.

The Guardian

The large-scale movement of students to small enclaves has resulted in an array of anti-social issues, residents claim, including noise, poorly maintained properties, increased pressure on parking during term-time and litter.

The Guardian - Money

Already there is a feeling about this litter of scapegoats that they've been bred not to exorcise Barbosa's ghost, but to replace him.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to animal bedding, use "litter" to maintain clarity and avoid ambiguity with other types of waste. For example: "Use pine shavings as litter for your rabbits."

Common error

Avoid using "litter" in formal writing without specifying the context. Clarify if you are referring to waste, animal bedding, or a group of offspring to prevent misinterpretation.

Linguistic Context

"Litter" functions primarily as a noun, referring to discarded waste, animal bedding, or a group of offspring. It can also function as a verb, meaning to scatter or strew with scattered articles. Ludwig AI confirms its versatility as reflected in the varied contexts of its usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

28%

Science

27%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

This analysis explores the multifaceted nature of the term "litter", encompassing its grammatical correctness, contextual usage, and semantic nuances. "Litter" functions as both a noun and a verb, denoting discarded waste, animal bedding, or offspring, and the act of scattering, respectively. According to Ludwig, it maintains a neutral register, finding frequent application across News & Media, Formal & Business, and Scientific domains. Alternatives such as "rubbish", "waste", and "debris" offer contextual synonyms. To ensure clarity, specifying the intended meaning of "litter"—waste, bedding, or offspring—is crucial in formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rubbish

Refers specifically to discarded waste material, synonymous with the 'trash' or 'garbage' sense of "litter".

waste

General term for unwanted or unusable materials, overlapping with "litter" when referring to discarded items.

trash

Commonly used to describe discarded waste, particularly in American English, similar to "litter".

debris

Refers to scattered fragments or remnants, often resulting from destruction or decay, similar to "litter" in a broader context.

garbage

Household or commercial waste that is thrown away, closely related to the 'trash' sense of "litter".

junk

Unwanted or useless items, similar to "litter" when referring to discarded objects of little value.

brood

Specifically refers to a family of young animals, particularly birds, born at one time, akin to the offspring sense of "litter".

offspring

General term for the young of an animal or plant, overlapping with "litter" when referring to multiple young born at once.

scatter

Describes the act of distributing items randomly, akin to the verb form of "litter" meaning to strew about.

strew

To spread things untidily over a surface, similar to the verb form of "litter" when referring to scattered items.

FAQs

How can I use "litter" in a sentence?

You can use "litter" to refer to discarded waste, as in "The park was covered in litter", or to the offspring of an animal, as in "The cat had a litter of kittens".

What is the meaning of "litter"?

"Litter" can refer to waste materials discarded improperly, bedding for animals, or a group of young animals born at the same time.

What can I say instead of "litter"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "rubbish", "waste", "trash", or "debris" when referring to discarded items. For offspring, consider "brood" or "offspring".

Is it correct to say "litter the street"?

Yes, "litter the street" is correct. It means to scatter trash or waste on the street. For example: "People should not litter the street".