more or less

adverb

1. (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct (Freq. 11)

-

lasted approximately an hour

-

in just about a minute

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he's about 30 years old

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I've had about all I can stand

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we meet about once a month

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some forty people came

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weighs around a hundred pounds

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roughly $3,000

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holds 3 gallons, more or less

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20 or so people were at the party

• Syn:

↑approximately, ↑about, ↑close to, ↑just about, ↑some, ↑roughly, ↑around, ↑or so

2. to a small degree or extent

-

his arguments were somewhat self-contradictory

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the children argued because one slice of cake was slightly larger than the other

• Syn: ↑slightly, ↑somewhat

* * *

speaking imprecisely; to a certain extent

they are more or less a waste of time

■ approximately

more or less symmetrical

* * *

more or less — see ↑more, 2

• • •

Main Entry: ↑less

————————

more or less

1 : not completely but to a great degree

The clothes are more or less [=mostly] dry.

The problem is more or less [=(informal) pretty much] fixed now.

They were more or less willing.

The building remains more or less [=essentially] intact.

The business has remained more or less [=fairly, reasonably] successful.

2

— used to indicate that a number, amount, time, etc., is not exact or certain

The garden contains five acres, more or less. [=about/approximately five acres]

It should take you 20 minutes, more or less. [=it should take you about/approximately 20 minutes]

I divided it into six more or less equal parts. [=into six approximately equal parts]

• • •

Main Entry: ↑more

* * *

ˌmore or ˈless idiom

1. almost

•

I've more or less finished the book.

2. approximately

•

She could earn $200 a night, more or less.

Main entry: ↑more_idiom