more less than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "more less than" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward or confusing to native speakers. It is more common to use "more or less" or "less than" in a sentence. For example: - The temperature today is more or less the same as yesterday. - He earns less than his brother. - I have more or less finished my assignment. If you want to use "more less than" in a sentence, it could be in a comparative context where you are expressing a small difference between two things. For example: - The cost of living in this city is more less than in the neighboring city. - The new design is more less than the old one. - Her performance in the last match was more less than her previous ones.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

More less than more, on balance.

The Guardian

The colors to fit your personality are based on nothing more less than yin and yang.

The New Yorker

They must hope New Zealand's relatively low-key campaign has one more less than stellar performance in it.

The Guardian - Sport

Council social workers have just been offered a 0.5% pay increase - once more, less than teachers, health workers, police officers and politicians.

The Guardian

What's more, less than 1% of commercial lending goes into agriculture (usually to the few large-scale farmers), so smaller farms cannot acquire such expensive tools.

Harvard Business Review

What's more, less than 25% of organizations feel that their data and analytics maturity has reached a level where it has actually optimized business outcomes, according to International Data Corporation.

Harvard Business Review

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

One of the ideas that its corporate-fraud task-force, a sort of legal think-tank set up to absorb political pressure, has been floating is to bring more less-than-airtight cases before juries, as an antidote to the conservative instincts that white-collar crime encourages among prosecutors.Prosecutors have some things going for them.

The Economist

With one more less-than-seamless transition, Levine began "She Will Be Loved" while surrounded by audience members on the field holding glowing lanterns covered with inspirational words.

HuffPost

"Imperial Bedrooms" is more violent than "Less Than Zero".

The New York Times - Books

Pretty people earn more money than average-looking people, who earn more than less-than-average-looking people.

Huffington Post

More or less than 1 indicates more variation than would be expected by the Rasch model.

BMC Health Services Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "more less than". It's generally considered grammatically incorrect and can confuse readers. Opt for "more or less than" or simply "less than" depending on your intended meaning.

Common error

A frequent error is mistakenly using "more less than" when the intended meaning is either "more or less" (indicating approximation) or "less than" (indicating a smaller quantity). Ensure you choose the correct phrase to accurately convey your intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "more less than" functions primarily as a comparative expression, though it is grammatically incorrect. It seemingly attempts to quantify a difference, but due to its flawed structure, it fails to achieve its intended function as a means of accurate comparison. As per Ludwig AI, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "more less than" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and is not recommended for use in writing. Ludwig AI indicates that it should be replaced with grammatically correct alternatives such as "more or less than" or "less than", depending on the intended meaning. The phrase appears infrequently across various sources, including science and news media, but its incorrect usage detracts from clear communication. For precise and effective writing, it's best to avoid "more less than" altogether.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

more or less than

This phrase is the correct and commonly used version of the original query, simply switching the order of the words.

less than or more than

This phrase reverses the order and uses 'less than' first. It maintains the intended comparison but with a slight shift in emphasis.

approximately

This single word suggests a rough estimation, similar to "more or less than" when used to indicate an approximation.

in the vicinity of

This phrase indicates an approximate range, similar to the general sense of "more or less than".

give or take

This idiom signifies an approximate value with a margin of error, akin to the imprecise comparison implied by the query.

not quite

This phrase suggests that something does not fully meet a certain criteria or amount, suggesting a slight difference.

to some extent

This phrase indicates a partial degree, implying the attribute is not fully present and is used to denote a quantity that is not fully reached.

in the neighborhood of

This implies approximation or the possibility of being slightly above or slightly below a certain number.

around

This shorter term replaces the full phrase and implies a value is close but is not necessarily precise.

somewhat

This phrase suggests a moderate amount that is not well defined and the level can be interpreted differently depending on the context.

FAQs

What does "more or less than" mean?

The correct phrase is "more or less than", which means approximately or to a certain extent. It indicates an estimation rather than a precise value.

How do I correct the phrase "more less than" in my writing?

Replace "more less than" with "more or less than" if you mean 'approximately'. If you intend to indicate a smaller quantity, use "less than".

Is "more less than" grammatically correct?

No, "more less than" is not grammatically correct. The correct and commonly accepted phrase is "more or less than".

What are some situations where I can use "more or less than"?

Use "more or less than" when you want to indicate an approximate quantity or degree. For example, 'The project will take "more or less than" three weeks to complete'.