less than

Idioms and Phrases

Not at all or hardly at all. For example, He had a less than favorable view of the matter , or She had a less than adequate grasp of the subject . This expression uses less in the sense of “a smaller quantity, number, or extent than is implied,” a usage dating from about a.d. 1000. The same sense appears in less than no time , a hyperbolic term for a very short time (as in Don't worry, he'll be here in less than no time ) that dates from about 1800.

Example Sentences

"There is a set of predicted transcription start sites for over 50,000 genes in soy, but based on our new study, less than 3% of those predicted transcription initiation sites actually are correct," Ma said.

From Science Daily

Elton John’s Broadway musical about the late Tammy Faye Messner, who was known as “the first lady of televangelism” when she was Tammy Faye Bakker in the 1970s and ’80s, is packing it up less than a week after its Nov. 14 opening.

From Los Angeles Times

For example, Prevelo Bikes moved production to Taiwan due to the initial Trump tariffs in 2019, which increased their costs but by less than if they continued to import from China.

From Salon

ICE has said that Ibarra was arrested in New York City in September 2023 and was charged with "acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation".

From BBC

A National Institute of Justice study suggests that undocumented migrants in the US are arrested for violent and drug crimes at less than half the rate of native-born citizens.

From BBC