“Lesser” or “Lessor”—Which to use?

“Lesser” or “Lessor”

Overview

lesser / lessor are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

lesser: (adjective) of less size or importance. (adjective) smaller in size or amount or value.

lessor: (noun) someone who grants a lease.

Pronunciation

lesser: l·EH·s·er

lessor: l·EH·s·er

Trends

📈 See Trends

Looking for a tool that handles this for you wherever you write?

Get Sapling

Examples in Context

Examples of “lesser”

…occasionally be parasitized by the lesser cuckoo.
…product at an equal or lesser value.
In Paris, and to a lesser extent in other major cities,…
…leave, to a greater or lesser extent, a "perverse" and bisexual…
…found in Java and the Lesser Sundas in southern Indonesia.
He chose what seemed the lesser of two evils, and on…
Although Carmilla is a lesser known and far shorter Gothic…
…rainfall and flooding to the Lesser Antilles.
…Lifetime Achievement Award for a lesser film.
…around Paris (and, to a lesser extent, around the other major…

Examples of “lessor”

Amedeo, an aircraft lessor that ordered 20 A380s, had…
…northwestern United States like Alex Lessor, Agni Howell, and Owen Riddle…
…: vers 1680-1790, Paris, SEDES, coll.
Amedeo, mainly an A380 lessor and the largest with 22,…
…20 commitments for the A380-specialized lessor Amedeo which commits to production…
…which ended up as the lessor of both the KCER and…

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

Too Much to Remember?

Install Sapling