sum less than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sum less than" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in mathematical or comparative contexts to indicate that one quantity is smaller than another. Example: "The total expenses for the month should be a sum less than $500 to stay within budget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Why, it was such a piffling sum (less than a million pounds) that it was "below the approval threshold".

The Guardian

What: Cool Shoreditch games maker, acquired by Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group for an undisclosed sum less than a year after launch.

The Guardian

If you factor in a brutalist set painted in various shades of black, which looks a substantial six-figure sum less than a million dollars, a cast of ten playing an entire redneck community, along with the various animals that the plot requires, you have a contrarian's daydream.

The New Yorker

So why was the combination of Roger Daltrey – now wilting into a crabby computer repair guy – and Liam Gallagher – now fading into a Liam Gallagher photo-fit – such a depressing sum less than its parts?

Vice

In 1907, Tesla's alternating current technology was being licensed by Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. Tesla sold Westinghouse his patents for a $216,000 lump sum — less than 2% of what they were said to be worth — to help the company defend Tesla's technology from Thomas Edison and his direct current technology.

Los Angeles Times

This suggests that any metal in a protein structure that has a valence vector sum less than 0.2 vu is likely to have a Ca-valence sum that can be used to determine what cation occupies the given site.

Chemical Reviews

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

For sums less than this you are likely to be charged £5 for delivery.

The Guardian - Money

But the relatively modest sums, less than 10 percent of the central bank's total balance sheet, have not been enough to prevent yields on Italian bonds from rising.

The New York Times

During both the exact and the approximate addition conditions, 2-digit addition problems with sums less than 100 were used.

Cerebral Cortex

However those with resolutions in the range 1.5 to 1.8 Å had a wide scatter of valence vector sums (0.0 - 0.8 vu) and Ca-valence sums that deviated by up to 50% from the expected value, though those structures with valence vector sums less than 0.2 vu generally had reliable Ca-valence sums.

Chemical Reviews

Note: *Covariate data were missing for some women and the total observations therefore sum to less than 550 for certain univariate analyses.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "sum less than" in technical writing, ensure that the units of measurement are clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. For example, "The total energy consumption should be a "sum less than" 1000 kWh per month".

Common error

Avoid using "sum less than" when you actually mean an average value or a median. Using the term inappropriately might lead to inaccurate data representation. For instance, don't say "The "sum" of test scores was "less than" 70" when you mean "The average test score was "less than" 70".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sum less than" functions primarily as a comparative determiner. It quantifies a total amount, indicating that it is smaller than a certain value. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in various contexts, as demonstrated by the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "sum less than" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed expression, used to convey that a particular total is smaller than a given value. As Ludwig AI highlights, this phrase is appropriate across a variety of contexts, including News & Media and scientific writing, positioning it as a versatile tool in communication. To ensure clarity, it's crucial to specify the units of measurement. Alternatives such as "total below" and "amount under" can be utilized to provide similar meaning with different levels of formality. Avoiding scope misinterpretation ensures that the phrase is used accurately, such as when differentiating between sums and averages.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Total below

This alternative uses simpler vocabulary to express the concept of a sum being under a certain value.

Amount under

This option replaces "sum" with "amount", focusing on the numerical quantity involved.

Value below

This alternative uses "value" instead of "sum", emphasizing the worth or importance of the quantity.

Aggregate below

This option uses "aggregate", which is more formal than "sum", suggesting a collected total.

Combined total under

This phrase specifies that the total is a result of combining multiple values.

Subtotal under

This alternative implies that the total is a part of a larger sum.

Figure lower than

This option replaces "sum" with "figure", which is commonly used in business contexts.

Reduced to under

This phrase implies that the sum was decreased to fall below a certain level.

Falls short of

This idiom suggests that the sum is not enough to reach a particular target.

Does not exceed

This alternative focuses on the upper limit, indicating that the sum is within a specified range.

FAQs

How do I use "sum less than" in a sentence?

Use "sum less than" to indicate that a total or combined amount is smaller than a specified value. For example, "The "sum" of their expenses was "less than" expected".

What's a good alternative to "sum less than"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "total below", "amount under", or "value below".

Is it grammatically correct to say "sum not more than" instead of "sum less than"?

While "sum not more than" isn't incorrect, "sum less than or equal to" or "sum no more than" is generally clearer and more precise. You can also express the same idea using "sum at most".

When should I use "sum less than" versus "total is under"?

"Sum less than" is more formal and often used in technical or mathematical contexts. "Total is under" is more informal and suitable for general conversation. For example, use "sum less than" in a scientific paper but "total is under" when talking about a budget.