Lesser
'lesər
Definitions
Smaller, less important, or of inferior quality or degree when compared to another.
'lesər
Smaller in size, amount, or importance.
She chose the lesser of two evils.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have two slices of pizza, and one is tiny, the other is HUGE. The small slice is the 'lesser' one! It's the smaller or not-as-good one of two choices.
👶 For kids: Not as big, not as good.
More Examples
The lesser-known author gained fame after winning the award.
The lesser amount of time was still enough.
How It's Used
"The lesser of two evils is still an evil."
"The judge imposed a lesser sentence due to mitigating circumstances."
From Middle English *lesser*, comparative of *lesse* (less), from Old English *læssa*, comparative of *lǣs* (less).
Used since the Middle Ages as a comparative of 'less'.
Memory tip
Think of 'less' - a smaller amount or degree.
Word Origin
"Comparative of 'less'; meaning 'smaller', 'less important'."