much less common

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "much less common" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to emphasize a comparison between two different scenarios or things. For example, "Paper books are much less common than ebooks these days."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Today, that is much less common.

The Economist

Anterior pituitary dysfunctions were much less common.

Stanford University

It is much less common than epididymitis.

Harvard University

Forced turnovers have become much less common.

Harvard Business Review

The other argots are much less common.

MIT Technology Review

Anterior pituitary dysfunctions are much less common than DI.

Stanford University

Posterior dislocations are much less common than anterior dislocations.

Orthopedic Clinics of North America

Screening is much less common in Britain, Dr. Heath says.

The New York Times

But it's much less common in other countries.

The New York Times - Food

It does happen sometimes, but it's much less common.

The Guardian

But there they would have found much less common ground.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "much less common", ensure you are making a clear comparison. Specify what you are comparing it to for clarity. For example, instead of just saying "This disease is much less common", specify "This disease is much less common than the flu".

Common error

A frequent mistake is using "much less common" without specifying what it is less common than. This omission leaves the comparison incomplete and the statement vague. Always provide a point of reference to maintain clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "much less common" functions as a comparative adjective phrase. It modifies a noun by indicating that something occurs or exists with a significantly lower frequency compared to something else. Ludwig examples demonstrate usage in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

1%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "much less common" is a grammatically correct and frequently used comparative phrase that emphasizes the significant difference in frequency between two things. Ludwig AI affirms its proper usage in a wide variety of contexts, particularly in news, science, and academic writing. When using "much less common", ensure you provide a clear comparison to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives like "significantly rarer" or "considerably infrequent" can add variety to your writing while maintaining clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significantly rarer

This alternative replaces "common" with "rarer" and "much less" with "significantly" intensifying the rarity.

considerably infrequent

This option uses "infrequent" instead of "common" and "considerably" to emphasize the reduced frequency.

palpably rarer

The adjective "palpably" highlights that the scarcity is easily perceived or obvious.

substantially scarcer

This phrase replaces "common" with "scarcer" and uses "substantially" to highlight the reduced availability.

appreciably uncommon

It uses "uncommon" instead of "common" and adds "appreciably" to denote a tangible difference.

decidedly less prevalent

This option substitutes "common" with "prevalent" and uses "decidedly" to indicate a clear difference in occurrence.

noticeably diminished

This emphasizes a reduction in prevalence, changing from a state of being common to one of being diminished.

measurably infrequent

It means something happens or exists less often in a way that can be quantified.

markedly reduced

This alternative stresses the clear reduction in how often something occurs or is found.

distinctly atypical

This phrase replaces the concept of commonness with typicality, suggesting something is notably out of the ordinary.

FAQs

How can I use "much less common" in a sentence?

Use "much less common" to compare the frequency of two things, indicating that one occurs far less often than the other. For example, "Complications from this surgery are "much less common" than previously thought".

What are some alternatives to "much less common"?

You can use phrases like "significantly rarer", "considerably infrequent", or "substantially scarcer" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it grammatically correct to say "very less common" instead of "much less common"?

While understandable, "very less common" is not standard English. "Much less common" is the preferred and grammatically correct way to express that something is significantly less frequent.

What's the difference between "less common" and "much less common"?

"Less common" indicates a simple difference in frequency. "Much less common" emphasizes a greater disparity in frequency, suggesting a significant difference.