Standard Lemma guide

lesser

adj · name · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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General-American: /ˈlɛsɚ/
Received-Pronunciation: /ˈlɛsə/
US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛsə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET: L EH1 S ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

adj

Meaning 1

Of two (or, rarely, more than two) things: the smaller in size (littler), in value, in importance etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

lesser panda
lesser yellowlegs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: greater

adj

Meaning 2

that which is of lesser size, quality, degree, or significance; of lower status, importance, or rank

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: comparative or contrast

Examples

The larger Sand Hill Cranes increasingly do not migrate, but almost all lesser ones do.
Between the two men, he was clearly the lesser one.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

name

Meaning 3

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

adjective

Meaning 4

of less size or importance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

the lesser anteater
the lesser of two evils

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: greater

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

smaller in size or amount or value

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

the lesser powers of Europe
the lesser anteater

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From less + -er.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

Belarusian: ме́ншы (mjénšy) — the comparative of little
Finnish: pienempi — the comparative of little
Finnish: vähäisempi — the comparative of little
French: moindre — the comparative of little
German: weniger — the comparative of little
German: kleiner — the comparative of little
German: geringere — the comparative of little
Hindi: लघुतर (laghutar) — the comparative of little
Italian: minore — the comparative of little
Persian: کوچکتر (kôčaktar) — the comparative of little
Portuguese: menor — the comparative of little
Russian: ме́ньший (ménʹšij) — the comparative of little
Spanish: menor — the comparative of little
Ukrainian: ме́нший (ménšyj) — the comparative of little
Arabic: أَصْغَر (ʔaṣḡar) — of two things, the smaller in size, value, importance etc
Finnish: pienempi — of two things, the smaller in size, value, importance etc
Finnish: vähäisempi — of two things, the smaller in size, value, importance etc
Persian: کوچکتر (kôčaktar) — of two things, the smaller in size, value, importance etc
Spanish: menor — of two things, the smaller in size, value, importance etc
Finnish: pienempi — thing that is of smaller size
Finnish: vähäisempi — thing that is of smaller size

Word forms

Inflections and variants

more lesser — comparative
most lesser — superlative
Lessers — plural

Word family

Derived and related words

Derived: lesser anteater, Lesser Antilles, lesser ape, lesser arcana, lesser auk, lesser baby innocence, lesser bilby, lesser black-backed gull, Lesser Britain, lesser capybara, lesser celandine, lesser chinchilla, lesser clubmoss, lesser crested tern, lesser cuckoo, lesser evilism, lesser-evilism, lesser evilist, lesser evil, lesser of two evils, lesser extent, lesser flamingo, lesser galangal, lesser goldfinch, lesser green leafbird, lesser grey shrike, lesser hedgehog tenrec, lesser included offence, lesser included offense, lesser jacana, lesser kestrel, lesser-known, lesser kudu, lesser moa, lesser mortal, lesser multangular, lesserness, lesser nothura, lesser occipital nerve, lesser omentum, lesser petrosal nerve, lesser prairie chicken, lesser redpoll, lesser rhea, lesser roadrunner, lesser rorqual, lesser sac, lesser sandplover, lesser saphenous vein, lesser scaup, lesser seal script, lesser siren, Lesser Slave Lake, Lesser Slave River, lesser spot-nosed monkey, lesser spotted, lesser spotted eagle, lesser spotted woodpecker, Lesser Sunda Islands, Lesser Sundas, lesser trochanter, lesser vestibular glands, lesser wanderer, lesser weever, lesser whistling duck, lesser whistling teal, lesser white-fronted goose, lesser whitethroat, lesser wing, lesser yam, to a lesser extent

Related: less, lesser of two evils, fewer, small, little

Spelling and sound

Hyphenation and homophones

Hyphenation: less·er

Semantic map

Other relationships

Sources

Where this information comes from

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Real reading context

Examples

Meaning relationships

Examples

Meaning relationships

Meaning relationships

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Examples

Meaning relationships

lesser in complete knowledge articles