much less commonly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "much less commonly" is grammatically correct and commonly used in written English.
It is typically used to compare two things, indicating that the first thing is even less frequent or common than the second thing. Example: "While apples are a common fruit, mangoes are much less commonly found in the grocery store."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

These averages are much less commonly used.

The Guardian

In 1917, Roxy (or Samuel L. Rothafel, as the show business magnate was much less commonly known) built the outside of the Rivoli to emulate the Parthenon.

The New York Times

The most frequently involved oral tissues are the trigeminal ganglion, posterior third of the tongue, tonsils, and, much less commonly, alveolar nerves, gingiva, and salivary glands.

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology

Over the last thirty years, the lean approach — developed by Japanese automakers — has permeated the manufacturing sector in developed countries, but is much less commonly used in the developing world.

Harvard Business Review

The IBI approach has been much less commonly applied to wetlands, despite the legal, policy and scientific need to assess wetland condition and develop ecological performance goals for wetland creation, restoration and enhancement.

Ecological Indicators

Although pencil drawings were much less commonly produced by artists of those centuries than sketches in chalks, charcoal, and pen and ink, the use of graphite gradually increased among painters, miniaturists, architects, and designers.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

However, in [26], authors conducted a comparison of best-path routing and opportunistic routing and found that the benefit of opportunistic routing is much less than commonly believed.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Recalculation for humans gives in average 510 mg/m, that much less than commonly used in clinical practice (1.0 - 2.5 g per day).

Aging

It was found that the water flow rate could be much less than what commonly used to obtain virtually the same thawing performance.

Journal of Food Engineering

When people are asked to learn successive lists of words, their performance tends to improve from one task to another so that much less time is commonly required to learn, say, the tenth list than was needed for mastering the first list.

Britannica

Part I of this essay summarizes Friedman's main thesis, including his implicit suggestion that the present composition of the Court matters much less than is commonly believed and may not even matter much at all.

Duke University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "much less commonly" to clearly indicate that something is significantly rarer than another. This phrase adds emphasis to the comparison.

Common error

Avoid using "much less commonly" repeatedly in close proximity. Vary your language by using synonyms like "far less frequently" or "significantly less often" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "much less commonly" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating the degree to which an action, state, or event is less frequent. It is used to compare the frequency of two things, emphasizing that one occurs significantly less often than the other. This aligns with Ludwig AI's assessment that the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

27%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

6%

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "much less commonly" is a grammatically correct and frequently used adverbial phrase that serves to highlight a significant difference in frequency between two compared items. As validated by Ludwig AI, this phrase is versatile and appears across a variety of contexts, notably in scientific and news-related content. When writing, it's valuable to keep in mind to strategically include this expression to enhance clarity, but be mindful of potential overuse, substituting in related terms like "far less frequently" or "significantly less often" to ensure variety. Given its prevalence, understanding its usage is beneficial for both comprehension and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

far less frequently

Emphasizes the reduced frequency of occurrence; slightly more direct.

significantly less often

Highlights the notable difference in frequency; more emphatic.

considerably less prevalent

Focuses on the diminished widespread presence; more formal.

markedly less usual

Stresses the distinct departure from typicality; somewhat stylistic.

not nearly as common

Expresses a significant disparity in commonness; more conversational.

appreciably less typical

Indicates a noticeable deviation from the norm; slightly more technical.

noticeably less widespread

Points out the reduced geographical or conceptual distribution; more descriptive.

to a much lesser extent

Shifts the focus to the degree or magnitude of occurrence; broader in application.

less customary by far

Emphasizes the contrast with established customs; more traditional in tone.

substantially less popular

Highlights the diminished favor or acceptance; specifically relates to popularity.

FAQs

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

Use "much less commonly" to compare the frequency of two events or phenomena, highlighting that one occurs considerably less often than the other. For example, "While email is common, postal mail is "much less commonly" used for business communication today".

What are some alternatives to "much less commonly"?

You can use alternatives such as "far less frequently", "significantly less often", or "considerably less prevalent" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. Each alternative offers a slightly different emphasis on the degree of infrequency.

Is it redundant to say "much less commonly"?

While "less commonly" is sufficient, adding "much" emphasizes the difference in frequency, making it a stronger statement. However, avoid overuse to prevent redundancy in your writing.

What is the difference between "less commonly" and "much less commonly"?

"Less commonly" indicates a general decrease in frequency, while "much less commonly" suggests a substantial or significant decrease. The addition of "much" amplifies the degree of infrequency.