least

See also: 'least and -least

English

WOTD – 16 January 2026

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”),[1] from Old English lǣst,[2] a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source),[3] from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”).

The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner.

cognates

Adjective

least

  1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
    Antonyms: greatest, (archaic) most
    1. Chiefly used with abstract nouns: less than all others in extent or size; littlest, smallest.
      Synonym: slightest
      least common multiple
      • 1546, John Heywood, chapter V, in Julian Sharman, editor, The Proverbs of John Heywood. […], London: George Bell and Sons, […], published 1874, →OCLC, part I, page 20:
        Of two ils chose the least, while choise lyeth in lot.
        The spelling has been modernized.
      • 1768, Mr. Yorick [pseudonym; Laurence Sterne], “The Act of Charity. Paris.”, in A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, volume II, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, […], →OCLC, pages 148–149:
        At the end of it [a passage], tovvards the theatre, 'tis lighted by a ſmall candle, the light of vvhich is almoſt loſt before you get half-vvay dovvn, but near the door—'tis more for ornament than uſe: you ſee it as a fix'd ſtar of the leaſt magnitude; it burns—but does little good to the vvorld, that vve knovv of.
      • 1872 February 8 (date delivered), John Ruskin, “Lecture I. The Function in Art of the Faculty Called by the Greeks Σοφία.”, in The Eagle’s Nest. Ten Lectures on the Relation of Natural Science to Art, Given before the University of Oxford in Lent Term, 1872 (The Works of John Ruskin; IV), London: […] [F]or the author, by Smith, Elder & Co., […]; and sold by Mr. G[eorge] Allen, […], published 1872, →OCLC, paragraph 2, page 3:
        [T]he least part of the work of any sound art-teacher must be his talking.
      1. Of two or more animals or plants with the same name: the smaller or smallest.
        least weasel
        • 1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Whiteblowe, or Whitlowe Grasse”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book II, page 498:
          The firſt is a very ſlender plant hauing a fevve ſmall leaues like the leaſt Chickvveede, grovving in little tufts, from the midſt vvhereof riſeth vp a ſmall ſtalke, nine inches long; […]
        • 1633, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], Thomas Johnson, “Of Hedge Hyssope”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], enlarged edition, London: […] Adam Islip, Joice Norton and Richard Whitakers, →OCLC, book II, pages 581–582:
          [T]he floures of a purple colour, ſpotted on the inſide vvith vvhite, and of a brighter purple than the reſt of the floure, faſhioned like the ſmallest Anirrhinum, or leaſt Snapdragon, […]
    2. (archaic) Lowest in importance or status; most insignificant or unimportant.
    3. (obsolete) Followed by an agent noun: of a person: who does some action to the smallest degree.
Derived terms
Translations

Determiner

least

  1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
    2. Smallest in amount or extent.
      Antonyms: greatest, most
      He earns the least money in his family.
      Of all the sisters, she has the least patience.
      • 1697, Virgil, “The Eleventh Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 558, lines 663–665:
        Th' Italian Chiefs, and Princes, joyn their Povv'rs: / Nor leaſt in Number, nor in Name the laſt, / Your ovvn brave Subjects have your Cauſe embrac'd.
      • 1768, Mr. Yorick [pseudonym; Laurence Sterne], “The Gloves. Paris.”, in A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, volume I, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, […], →OCLC, page 174:
        She begg'd I vvould try a ſingle pair [of gloves], vvhich ſeemed to be the leaſt—She held it open—my hand ſlipp'd into it at once— […]
      • 1857, Edmund March Blunt, The American Coast Pilot: Containing Directions for the Principal Harbors, E. & G.W. Blunt, page 135:
        The least water we could find there was 4 fathoms, which bears from the point S.E., and is distant 1½ mile.
      • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
        “Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.
      • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
        Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour.
      • 1960 December, “The first hundred 25 kV a.c. electric locomotives for B.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 727:
        Comparison of the four bogie designs shows that the Rugby-built A.E.I. bogie has the least number of components and a minimum of metallic wearing surfaces.
      • 2004, Jim Baggott, Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Quantum Theory, Oxford University Press, page 48:
        Light does not need to know in advance which is the path of least time because it takes all paths from its source to its destination.
    4. Followed by a plural noun: the smallest number of; the fewest.
      Antonym: most
      Whichever queue contains the least items by the time this logic branch is reached will be executed first.
    5. (chiefly in the negative) Any, no matter how small in amount or extent.
      not even the least amount
      It is indicative of his true character that he could not manage to show even the least bit of courtesy in such a situation.
Usage notes

Some grammarians recommend using least only with uncountable nouns, as in the usage examples under etymology 1 sense 1.1.[4] This approach views least as the superlative of a little, not of little, so it does not mean “smallest” but “the smallest amount of”. With plural nouns, they recommend fewest. However, other authors disagree; for example, the Oxford English Dictionary indicates least as a synonym of fewest without any usage notes discussing this meaning:[3] see etymology 1 sense 1.2.

Derived terms
Translations

Adverb

least (negative superlative)

  1. In a degree below all others; in the lowest or smallest degree.
    Antonym: most
    My best routine was the one I had practised the least.
    I don’t much like housework, and doing the dishes least of all.
    That decision rewards those who least deserve it.
  2. Used to form superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.
    Antonym: most
    It was the least surprising thing.
Translations
used to form superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est

Noun

least (plural leasts)

  1. Preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the lowest-ranking or most insignificant person or (sometimes) group of people.
    even the least of
    The pastor preached that even the least of God’s creatures deserves freedom from needless or idle cruelty.
  2. (philosophy) Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit; a minimum.
Translations

Pronoun

least

  1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the smallest amount or extent of something.
    I’m giving least of all towards her present.
    • 1847, John Duncan, Duncan's Travels:
      To have demolished and rebuilt the walls, would have been a very costly expedient, and as the least of two evils, the painter's brush was resorted to; here and there however, above some of the windows, the black wreathings of the smoke are still discernible through the white covering.
Usage notes

The pronoun use of least is to be distinguished from uses as an adjective and determiner in that it stands independently and does not modify a noun.

Translations

Etymology 2

Contraction of at least.

Prepositional phrase

least

  1. (informal, nonstandard) At least.
    • 1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter VI, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 65:
      “Why he took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump where the rain water was.” “In the day time?” “Certainly.” “With his face to the stump?” “Yes. Least I reckon so.”
    • 2019 December, Justin Blackburn, The Bisexual Christian Suburban Failure Enlightening Bipolar Blues, page 79:
      What a stupid white privileged POS I am! Least I call myself out.
Alternative forms

References

  1. ^ “lē̆st(e, adj.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ Joseph Bosworth (1882), “læst: see læssa, adj. cpve. [comparative]”, in T[homas] Northcote Toller, editor, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 612, column 1.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 “least, adj., pron., n., and adv.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2025; “least, det., pron., adv., and adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  4. ^ See, for example, H[enry] W[atson] Fowler (1926), “less”, in A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press; London: Humphrey [Sumner] Milford, →OCLC, page 321:
    The modern tendency is so to restrict less that it means not smaller, but a smaller amount of, is the comparative rather of a little than of little, & is consequently applied only to things that are measured by amount & not by size or quality or number, […] less butter, courage; but a smaller army, table; a lower price, degree; fewer opportunities, people.

Further reading

Anagrams

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

  • leas (non-standard since 2012)

Verb

least

  1. passive infinitive of le
  2. passive infinitive of lea

Anagrams

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