whichever is smaller

USAGE SUMMARY

'whichever is smaller' is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to indicate that the choice between two options should be based on whichever option is smaller. For example, "We will take the larger of the two items, but pay for whichever is smaller."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Representative Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, has drafted legislation that would allow companies to obtain up to $5 million from individuals through crowdfunded ventures, with a cap of $10,000 per investor, or 10 percent of their annual incomes, whichever is smaller.

The New York Times

where Cmin is equal to Cnf or Cair, whichever is smaller.

International Nano Letters

The 'whiskers' indicated by the dashed lines represent either the maximum/minimum values or 1.5 times the interquantile range of the data, whichever is smaller.

New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science

The maximum number of eigenvectors (components) extracted by PCA is equal to the number of columns c or rows r in the data matrix, whichever is smaller.

Geochemical Transactions

We suggest plotting the difference between a low resolution eigenvalue and the nearest high resolution eigenvalue, divided by the magnitude of the eigenvalue or the intermodal separation, whichever is smaller.

Journal of Computational Physics

(BlockSize_x) is chosen to be either the largest power of two smaller than the number of plane waves or the maximum number of threads per block, whichever is smaller.

Advanced Structural and Chemical Imaging

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

Individuals known to have died but with unknown age at death were censored at age last at follow up or at age 70 years, whichever was smaller.

British Journal of Cancer

hThe number of matches found with both methods, as a percentage of the total number of significant genes found by Wilcoxon or LMMA, whichever was smaller.

BMC Genomics

If it was known that an individual had developed breast or ovarian cancer, but the age at diagnosis was unknown, we treated the age at interview or age at death, whichever was smaller, as the age of cancer.

British Journal of Cancer

RRSs were calculated for all CDSs based on raw reads as described [ 38] and are provided in Additional file 3. The 3′ UTR was defined as in TriTrypDB, or if data were lacking, as 100 nt downstream of the stop codon, or to nt -13 relative to the next CDS, whichever was smaller.

BMC Genomics

The number of factors to describe the interaction, R, can be at most G - 1 or E - 1, whichever is the smaller.

Genetics, Selection, Evolution

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing values or quantities, use "whichever is smaller" to clearly indicate that the lesser value should be selected or considered.

Common error

Ensure that the items being compared are clearly defined. Vague comparisons can lead to ambiguity and misinterpretations. Specify the units and context for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "whichever is smaller" functions as a conjunctive phrase used to introduce a condition where the choice between two options depends on their size or value. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "whichever is smaller" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase that acts as a conjunctive phrase. It serves to specify a condition for selecting the lesser option when comparing two or more items. It's versatile enough for use in neutral contexts, including science, news, and general writing. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is reliable for clearly indicating that a decision depends on selecting the smaller value or size.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the smaller of the two

Focuses on identifying the lesser item from a pair.

the lesser value

Emphasizes the lower numerical amount.

the minimum of the options

Highlights the process of finding the minimum.

the lower bound

More mathematical and emphasizes the limit.

the smaller quantity

Focuses on the amount and its magnitude.

the least amount

Highlights the minimal amount.

the minimal portion

Focuses on a small part of something.

the inferior choice

Highlights that it could be a bad choice.

the reduced alternative

Emphasizes the reduced state of something.

take the lower figure

Focuses on the choice action.

FAQs

How can I use "whichever is smaller" in a sentence?

You can use "whichever is smaller" when comparing two or more options and wanting to choose the option that has the least value or size. For example, "Take "whichever is smaller" of the two portions offered".

What phrases are similar to "whichever is smaller"?

Alternatives to "whichever is smaller" include phrases like "the lesser value", "the minimum of the options", or "the "smallest of the two"", depending on the specific context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "whichever is smaller"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The phrase is commonly used and accepted in both formal and informal writing to indicate a choice based on the smaller of two or more options.

When should I use "whichever is smaller" versus "whichever is less"?

"Whichever is smaller" is typically used when referring to physical size or quantity, while "whichever is less" is often used for abstract values or amounts. However, they are often interchangeable. For example, both "Choose "whichever is less"" and "Choose "whichever is smaller"" can be correct when referring to amounts.