as in less
having not so great importance or rank as another
it was the lesser evil of the two choices
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lesser
In that earlier trial, three other members of the Oath Keepers were found guilty of lesser charges.
—
Jan Wolfe and C. Ryan Barber, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2023
Minuta, Hackett and Moerschel were acquitted of lesser charges.
—Michael Kunzelman and Alanna Durkin Richer, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Jan. 2023
Prosecutors tend to settle for plea deals on related charges – pimping, pandering or money laundering – with lesser sentences.
—USA Today, 19 Jan. 2023
Upon its debut, the reborn Defender appeared both as the mainstay four-door 110 and the two-door 90—which is lesser in length but greater in charm.
—Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 19 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for lesser
Jan Wolfe and C. Ryan Barber, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2023
Minuta, Hackett and Moerschel were acquitted of lesser charges.
—Michael Kunzelman and Alanna Durkin Richer, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Jan. 2023
Prosecutors tend to settle for plea deals on related charges – pimping, pandering or money laundering – with lesser sentences.
—USA Today, 19 Jan. 2023
Upon its debut, the reborn Defender appeared both as the mainstay four-door 110 and the two-door 90—which is lesser in length but greater in charm.
—Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 19 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for lesser
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lesser
Adjective
-
As my colleague Arpan Lobo reported in May, people are spending less time at breweries and less time drinking beer, and a new generation of young adults is drinking much less than older generations, according to a recent Gallup poll.—
Brian Manzullo,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
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Evers signed the $111 billion two-year spending plan into law just after 1:30 a.m. July 3, less than an hour after the state Assembly sent the Democratic governor the final budget bill.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
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Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Lesser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lesser. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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