more or less

adverb

1

: to a varying or undetermined extent or degree : somewhat

they were more or less willing to help

2

: with small variations : approximately

contains 16 acres more or less

Synonyms

• about
• all but
• almost
• borderline
• fair [chiefly British]
• fairly
• feckly [chiefly Scottish]
• most
• much
• near
• nearly
• next to
• nigh
• practically
• somewhere
• virtually
• well-nigh

Examples of more or less in a Sentence

the lot is 16 acres more or less

most couples in the survey said that they were more or less happy in their marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

Nevertheless, these miners trade more or less in line with the majors in the sector and, lately, made it to new 52-week highs. —John Navin, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

The basic stance of mainstream environmentalists now is that the country is more or less on the right track. —Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024

This list from Maytag is a good reference to keep on file, and Chen agrees that these levels should be more or less the same no matter the exact make and model of your microwave. —Audrey Bruno, SELF, 14 Oct. 2024

The size and design of the drink mouth can allow more or less heat to escape and affect the overall insulation performance. —Adam Trenkamp, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

more or less

adverb

1

: to a varying or uncertain degree : somewhat

they were more or less willing to help

2

: with small variations : approximately

contains 16 acres more or less