much fewer

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "much fewer" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it as an alternative to "a lot less" when comparing two things, especially when talking about numbers or amounts. For example, "There are much fewer people at the party this year than last year."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They had much fewer weapons.

The New York Times

Male sex writers do exist, but in much fewer numbers.

The Guardian - Opinion

Therefore, the proposed algorithm requires much fewer inputs compared to the previous research works.

Electric Power Systems Research

MRake receiver shows better performance or consumes much fewer resources than traditional anti-multipath techniques.

Acta Astronautica

The case study showed the improved algorithm needed much fewer simulations for convergence.

Computers & Chemical Engineering

Tech: Are there any side effects at all? Langer:Much fewer than systemic chemotherapy.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

And then, of course, there are the spectators; not much fewer than a million of them.

Independent

This is because employees receive much fewer shares than they otherwise would.

The New York Times

Surely, we should see much fewer deaths ?

Forbes

When (pneq2), the corresponding results are much fewer.

Boundary Value Problems

As a result, there exists much fewer free-learned parameters.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "much fewer" when you want to emphasize a notable reduction in number or amount compared to something else. It's particularly useful in formal and scientific writing.

Common error

Avoid using "less" when "fewer" is appropriate. "Fewer" should be used with countable nouns (things you can count), while "less" should be used with uncountable nouns (things you can't count). For example, it's correct to say "much fewer cars", but incorrect to say "much fewer traffic."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "much fewer" functions as a determiner or quantifier, specifically used to modify countable nouns. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness, indicating that it's used to express a smaller quantity in a comparative sense, like in the examples "much fewer weapons" or "much fewer simulations."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

59%

News & Media

27%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Academia

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "much fewer" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression used to emphasize a noticeable reduction in number or amount. As Ludwig AI confirms, it functions as a determiner, modifying countable nouns. While suitable for various contexts, it's particularly prevalent in scientific, academic and formal writing. When using "much fewer", remember to use it with countable nouns, avoiding confusion with "much less", which is for uncountable nouns. The phrase has good alternatives such as "significantly less" or "considerably smaller number", which may be selected depending on specific use cases. Overall, "much fewer" is a reliable and effective way to convey a substantial decrease in quantity in many writing scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

far fewer

A simpler and more direct way of saying "much fewer".

a great deal fewer

Similar in meaning, but with a stronger emphasis on the extent of the reduction.

noticeably fewer

Highlights the obviousness of the reduction.

considerably fewer

Expresses a sizable reduction.

significantly less

Emphasizes a notable reduction in quantity.

substantially fewer

Emphasizes the significant difference in quantity.

considerably smaller number

Highlights a smaller quantity specifically related to numerical value.

substantially reduced

Focuses on the act of reducing something to a lower amount.

markedly diminished

Suggests a clear and noticeable decrease.

appreciably less

Indicates a decrease that is easily perceived or measured.

FAQs

How do I use "much fewer" correctly in a sentence?

Use "much fewer" to compare countable nouns, indicating a significantly smaller number. For example, "There are "much fewer" job openings this year than last year."

What's the difference between "much fewer" and "far fewer"?

While both phrases indicate a smaller quantity, "far fewer" is generally considered slightly more informal. "Much fewer" is suitable for formal writing, while "far fewer" works well in most contexts.

Is it ever correct to say "much less" instead of "much fewer"?

"Much less" is used with uncountable nouns, while ""much fewer"" is used with countable nouns. For example, "much less time" is correct, but "much fewer minutes" is also correct.

What are some alternatives to using "much fewer" in writing?

You can use alternatives like "significantly less", "considerably smaller number", or "substantially reduced" depending on the context.