Lesser

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈlɛsɚ/

Definitions

1. Being of reduced significance or standing in comparison to another entity
2. Referring to an inferior level of quality or quantity when assessed against another factor
3. Having a lower level of importance or status compared to something else ; possessing a reduced standard or amount relative to another

Etymology: "Lesser" is a double comparative: the "-er" ending is stacked onto "less," which was already a comparative form. "Less" itself descends from Old English "lǣssa," the comparative of "lȳtel," meaning "little." So "lesser" carries the comparative marker twice over, a bit like saying "more bigger" in modern speech, though the doubling is ancient and has become standard. The "-er" ending has a long pedigree. It traces back through Proto-Germanic and Proto-West Germanic forms to a comparative suffix that goes back to Proto-Indo-European, and it appeared in Old English as "-ra" before developing into the Middle English "-ere" and the modern "-er." Over the centuries, English speakers apparently felt that "less" alone no longer marked the comparison strongly enough in certain uses, and the extra suffix settled into the word we use now.

Synonyms: smaller, minor, inferior

Antonyms: greater, superior