must not be less

USAGE SUMMARY

'must not be less' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are expressing an obligation, requirement, or expectation that something should not be less than a certain amount. For example, "Teachers in our school system must not be less than 25 years of age."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

Margarine must not be less than 80percentt fat.

The Washington Post

"After the failure of the attempted military coup, the response must not be less democracy in Turkey but more democracy," he said.

The Guardian

BRAC CHWs are female, aged 25 40 years, married and the youngest child must not be less than two years of age.

Health Economics Review

The election service elects a Leader from the reporting members in consideration of the LSN's, i.e., the new Leader's LSN must not be less than a majority of members'.

Data Science and Engineering

In order to avoid the irregularity exceeding the limit values, the height of 32, 48, and 64 m simply supported box beam bridges must not be less than 2.15, 3.2, and 4.05 m, respectively.

Journal of Modern Transportation

That is to say, the remaining energy of the selected second relay must not be less than the minimum value between the first relay's energy and the energy threshold.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

The date by which the owner's written comments or objections must be received, which shall not be less than 90 days after the date that the notice is mailed under this clause or last published under clause (ii)(II).

Cornell University

While both standards aim at immediate as well as sustained efficacy of the procedure, according to the EN the test product must not be significantly less effective than the reference procedure, whereas the TFM requires absolute reduction of ≥1, ≥2, and ≥3 log10 per hand on days 1, 2, and 5, respectively.

Journal of Hospital Infection

Giving the Welsh government's response on Wednesday, Mr Drakeford said the Welsh language must not be treated less favourably in the primary care sector of the health service than English.

BBC

Note also that the efficiency requirement which is the major driving force in the GLOBAL scenario - must not be seen as less important in the LOCAL scenario.

European Transport Research Review

Just because it was mainly middle class it must not be treated as somehow less authentic than the leave side.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When setting minimum requirements, use "must not be less" to ensure clarity and avoid ambiguity. For example, "The grant application score must not be less than 75 to be considered for funding."

Common error

Avoid using "must be less" when you intend to set a minimum limit. "Must be less" indicates an upper bound, whereas "must not be less" specifies a lower bound.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "must not be less" functions as a modal construction expressing a requirement or condition. It sets a lower limit or threshold, indicating that something should be equal to or greater than a specified value. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

8%

Wiki

18%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "must not be less" is a grammatically correct and frequently used construction to establish a minimum requirement or threshold. Ludwig AI validates its proper usage in written English. As the examples demonstrate, it's commonly found in scientific, news, and formal business contexts, setting a lower limit that should not be breached. While "must not be less" is slightly more common, remember not to confuse it with "must be less", which has the opposite meaning. When aiming for clarity, use alternatives like "should be at least" or "is no less than".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is no less than

Reformulates as a direct assertion of the minimum acceptable quantity.

should be at least

Replaces "must not be less" with a more direct statement of minimum acceptable value.

cannot be smaller than

Substitutes "must not be less" with an explicit comparison indicating a size constraint.

shall not be under

Utilizes "shall not" for a formal prohibition of being below a certain level.

should not fall below

Uses "fall below" to imply a lower limit that should not be breached.

is required to exceed

Presents the requirement as a need to surpass a certain level.

has to be a minimum of

Rephrases as a necessary condition involving a minimum threshold.

must equal or exceed

Offers a combined constraint of equality or surpassing a level.

needs to be the same as or higher than

Breaks down the requirement into two possibilities: equality or exceeding.

is imperatively greater than or equal to

Emphasizes the necessity of surpassing or equaling a minimum level.

FAQs

How can I use "must not be less" in a sentence?

Use "must not be less" to specify a minimum requirement or threshold. For example, "The duration of the experiment must not be less than one hour."

What can I say instead of "must not be less"?

You can use alternatives like "should be at least", "is no less than", or "cannot be smaller than" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "must not be less" or "must be no less"?

"Must not be less" and "must be no less" are both grammatically correct and generally interchangeable. However, "must not be less" is slightly more common.

What's the difference between "must not be less" and "must be less than"?

"Must not be less" indicates a minimum value (equal to or greater than), while "must be less than" indicates a maximum value (strictly smaller). They have opposite meanings.