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

Do top loaders clean better with more or less water? —Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024

Starr was then in the midst of cutting a series of EPs, having more or less abandoned the full-album form, the last of which was with Linda Perry as writer-producer. —Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024

There will be tonal differences, with series leaning more or less fantastic or realistic. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

The problem of course is that inflation is, more or less, already defeated and the economy is on fire. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 31 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