Less·er a. Less; smaller; inferior.
God made . . . the lesser light to rule the night. --Gen. i. 15.
Note: ☞ Lesser is used for less, now the compar. of little, in certain special instances in which its employment has become established by custom; as, Lesser Asia (i. e., Asia Minor), the lesser light, and some others; also in poetry, for the sake of the meter, and in prose where its use renders the passage more euphonious.
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. --Shak.
The larger here, and there the lesser lambs. --Pope.
By the same reason may a man, in the state of nature, punish the lesser breaches of the law. --Locke.
Less·er, adv. Less. [Obs.]
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lesser
adj 1: of less size or importance; "the lesser anteater"; "the
lesser of two evils" [ant: greater]
2: smaller in size or amount or value; "the lesser powers of
Europe"; "the lesser anteater"