Less Than

Pronunciation: /lɛs ðæn/

Definitions of less than

adjective Describes a noun or pronoun, in this case 'less'

Example Sentences

A1 I have less than ten dollars in my wallet.

A2 She speaks less than five languages fluently.

B1 The meeting lasted less than an hour.

B2 The new car costs less than $20,000.

C1 His salary is less than that of his colleagues.

C2 The restaurant received less than stellar reviews.

preposition Shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence, in this case 'than'

Example Sentences

A1 I have less than ten dollars in my wallet.

A2 She is less than five minutes away from the meeting.

B1 There are less than twenty students in the classroom.

B2 The new car costs less than $30,000.

C1 The project was completed in less than six months.

C2 The temperature outside is less than zero degrees Celsius.

Examples of less than in a Sentence

formal The cost of the new equipment is less than the budgeted amount.

informal I spent less than I planned on the new equipment.

slang I totally blew less than I thought on that new gear.

figurative His dedication to the project was less than inspiring.

Grammatical Forms of less than

• past tense: was less than
• plural: less than
• comparative: less than
• superlative: least
• present tense: is less than
• future tense: will be less than
• perfect tense: has been less than
• continuous tense: is being less than
• singular: less than
• positive degree: less than
• infinitive: to be less than
• gerund: being less than
• participle: less than

Origin and Evolution of less than

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English and Middle English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'less than' originated from Old English and Middle English languages.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in mathematical contexts to denote a comparison between two quantities, the phrase 'less than' has evolved to be commonly used in everyday language to indicate something of lower value or importance.