more or less

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See also: more-or-less

English

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Adverb

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more or less (not comparable)

  1. Approximately.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:approximately
    There were a hundred people in the room, more or less.
    • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 5:
      The sporophyte foot is also characteristic: it is very broad and more or less lenticular or disciform, as broad or broader than the calyptra stalk [] , and is sessile on the calyptra base []
  2. Almost.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:almost
    I've more or less guaranteed myself a top mark in my final exams.
  3. To varying extents, across instances; to an extent that varies among cases.
    [X] is always more or less of a [Y]
    Entrepreneurship is always more or less of a gamble.
    • 1927, Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook of Elbert Hubbard: Mottos, Epigrams, Short Essays, Passages, Orphic Sayings and Preachments: Coined from a Life of Love, Laugher and Work[1], William H. Wise and Company, page 197:
      The weaknesses of the many make the leader possible—and the man who craves disciples and wants followers is always more or less of a charlatan. The man of genuine worth and insight wants to be himself; and he wants others to be themselves, also. Discipleship is a degenerating process to all parties concerned. People who are able to do their own thinking should not allow others to do it for them.

Translations

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Further reading

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