lesser

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈlɛsɚ/
• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ˈlɛsə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: less‧er

Adjective

Positive lesser

Comparative none

Superlative least

1. (usually before a noun) The lesser of two things is the one with the smaller size, importance, duration, etc.
   • Synonym: less
   • Antonym: greater

   They made a lot of money, while we took home lesser sums.

   A lesser man would have given up.

2. Plants and animals with names like lesser X are typically smaller than a closely related species, often called greater X.

   The lesser prairie-chicken is a medium to large bird, striped white and brown, slightly smaller and paler than its near relative the greater prairie chicken (T. cupido).

3. Places with names like Lesser X are typically south of a place named Greater X or in the south part of X.

   We sailed north from the Lesser Antilles to the Greater Antilles.