Library / English Dictionary

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Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(comparative of 'few' used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of

Example:

fewer trains were late

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

less ((nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure phrases) fewer)

Also:

few (a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by 'a'; a small but indefinite number)

less ((comparative of 'little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree)

Domain usage:

comparative; comparative degree (the comparative form of an adjective or adverb)

Antonym:

more ((comparative of 'many' used with count nouns) quantifier meaning greater in number)

Credits

 Context examples: 

In all participants, during follow-up, pelvic floor muscle spasm was not detected or occurred in fewer muscles.

(Scientists identify spasm in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain, National Institutes of Health)

While receiving less food, mice had fewer memory T cells in their lymphoid tissues, where they normally linger, and more of the T cells in bone marrow that became enriched with fat tissue.

(Memory T cells shelter in bone marrow, boosting immunity in mice with restricted diets, National Institutes of Health)

A small study finds that healthy older people who exercise regularly have fewer problems with word retrieval.

(Exercise May Help Seniors with Word, Memory Problems, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Importantly, the team also showed that thin people, had a much lower genetic risk score – they had fewer genetic variants that we know increase a person’s chances of being overweight.

(Slim people have a genetic advantage when it comes to maintaining their weight, University of Cambridge)

They found that fewer young spruce trees had taken root during periods when snowshoe hares were abundant.

(Race across the tundra: White spruce vs. snowshoe hare, National Science Foundation)

The treated animals also showed fewer signs of the diseases.

(Blood pressure drug shows promise for treating Parkinson’s and dementia in animal studies, University of Cambridge)

But studies have found that blood leaving the lungs has more platelets and fewer progenitor cells than blood entering the lungs.

(An overlooked role for lungs in blood formation, NIH)

There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

A form of the anticancer drug camptothecin that may have fewer side effects and work better than camptothecin.

(CT-2106, NCI Dictionary)

It may have fewer side effects and work better than cytarabine.

(Cytarabine liposome, NCI Dictionary)