What does "fewer" mean?

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

What is a synonym for "fewer"?

Common synonyms include: less, smaller.

Usage Contextformalediting

Note: Use for countable nouns.

//ˈfjuː.ɚ// det

det ·Rare ·Advanced level

Adjective

1
(comparative of ‘few’ used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of wordnet

Determiner

1
comparative degree of few; a smaller number. comparative, form-of
"Fewer women wear hats these days."

"Are you creating for us a future world where there is a greater danger of skin cancer, weakened bodies, less food and fewer plants and animals?"

From Middle English fewere, equivalent to few + -er.

Fewer vs Less: The Practical Rule (and When to Bend It)

Use fewer and less correctly in everyday writing without sounding stiff.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.