English Online Dictionary. What means fewer? What does fewer mean?
English
Etymology
From Middle English fewere, equivalent to few + -er.
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈfjuː.ɚ/
- Rhymes: -uːə(ɹ)
Determiner
fewer (superlative fewest)
- comparative degree of few; a smaller number.
Usage notes
Some[*] regard the use of the determiner less with countable quantities to be incorrect, stating that less should indicate only a reduction in uncountable quantity, or in size or significance, leaving fewer to indicate a smaller numerical quantity. For example, they suggest saying less sugar, but fewer people, not less people. Such a rule can allow distinctions such as:
- Their troubles are fewer than ours, meaning "Their troubles are not so numerous as ours."
- Their troubles are less than ours, meaning "Their troubles are not so great as ours."
Nevertheless, less has been widely understood and commonly used as a synonym for fewer since it first appeared in Old English as læs.
Derived terms
Translations
See also
- less
Old English
Numeral
fēwer (Northumbrian)
- Alternative form of fēower