more or less en · ADV
Pronunciation
Meanings
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(not-comparable) Approximately.
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[…]
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:There were a hundred people in the room, more or less.
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(not-comparable) Almost.
I've more or less guaranteed myself a top mark in my final exams.
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(not-comparable) To varying extents, across instances; to an extent that varies among cases.
[X] is always more or less of a [Y]
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.
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, William H. Wise and Company, page 197:Entrepreneurship is always more or less of a gamble.
The big complaint you hear is that when you [a farmer] take your product to the market, you take what they give you. And when you go buy on the other end, you pay what they say. So you’re at their mercy on both ends, more or less.
2011 [1974], Pierce Walker, quotee, edited by Studs Terkel, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, Kindle edition, New Press, →ISBN, pages 73-74:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more-or-less | alternative | lexicographic |
Synonyms
more or less · sort of · near · as good as · fornigh · pretty much · kind of · nearly · close to · imprecisely · just about · nigh on · nigh · roughly · some · all but · tantamount to · practically · virtually · virtually · around · as near as makes no difference · not quite · ± · near · just about · give or take · roundly · close to · well-nigh · by and large · well-nigh · nearly · circa · thereabout · near as damn it · for all practical purposes · plus or minus · fornigh · say · all but · almost · almost · nighwhat · loosely · next to · essentially · approaching · odd · close · -ish · -some · about · nearabout · or so · more or less · nigh on
Translations (110)
eo pli aŭ malpli (almost) · es sobre poco más o menos (approximately) · frm poy plus poy moins (approximately) · pt mais ou menos (approximately) · nn meir eller mindre (approximately) · it quasi (almost) · cmn 差點 /差点 (almost) · eo pli-malpli (approximately) · ja 多かれ少なかれ (to varying extents) · yi מער ווייניקער (approximately) · ur کم و بیش (approximately) · cmn 上下 (approximately) · pl mniej więcej (approximately) · el περισσότερο ή λιγότερο (approximately) · ru бо́лее и́ли ме́нее (approximately) · ru бо́лее-ме́нее (approximately) · el σχεδόν (almost) · is nokkurn veginn (approximately) · ms lebih kurang (approximately) · fr peu ou prou (approximately) · de fast (almost) · sv mer eller mindre (almost) · nn meir eller mindre (almost) · gl case (almost) · la amplius minus (ve) (approximately) · pl prawie (almost) · ja 約 (approximately) · ar حَوَالِي (approximately) · uk бі́льш-ме́нш (approximately) · scn ḍḍà ca ḍḍà (approximately) · cmn 或多或少 (to varying extents) · pl prawie że (almost) · tl humigit-kumulang (approximately) · ro mai mult sau mai puțin (approximately) · cmn 大概 (approximately) · fr presque (almost) · io plu o min (approximately) · pl z grubsza (approximately) · fi jossain määrin (to varying extents) · ast más o menos (approximately) · ca més o menys (approximately) · sv mer eller mindre (approximately) · cmn 大約 /大约 (approximately) · de mehr oder minder (approximately) · ka ასე თუ ისე (almost) · aeb تَقْرِيبْ (approximately) · da mere eller mindre (almost) · aeb پلٌزُومْوَانْ (approximately) · nl min of meer (approximately) · ko 많거나 적거나 (to varying extents) · bg малко или много (approximately) · bg малко или много (almost) · fr plus ou moins (approximately) · te ఎక్కువతక్కువగా (approximately) · ja ほとんど (almost) · fi lähes (almost) · pl mniej lub bardziej (to varying extents) · da mere eller mindre (approximately) · he פחות או יותר (approximately) · hu félig-meddig (almost) · sq pak a shumë (almost) · nb mer eller mindre (approximately) · la magis minus (ve) (approximately) · cs víceméně (approximately) · hu többé-kevésbé (approximately) · da næsten (almost) · cmn 多少 (to varying extents) · lt daugiau ar mažiau (approximately) · ca si fa no fa (approximately) · fr plus ou moins (almost) · is sirka (approximately) · de mehr oder weniger (almost) · cmn 左右 (approximately) · is um það bil (approximately) · nb mer eller mindre (almost) · el πάνω κάτω (approximately) · la plūs minus (ve) (approximately) · cmn 差一點 /差一点 (almost) · fi enemmän tai vähemmän (approximately) · ru бо́лее и́ли ме́нее (almost) · it approssimativamente (approximately) · es más o menos (approximately) · pl mniej lub więcej (to varying extents) · is meira eða minna (almost) · sq pak a shumë (approximately) · pt quase (almost) · it più o meno (approximately) · id kurang lebih (approximately) · ja およそ (approximately) · gl máis ou menos (approximately) · cmn 大致 (approximately) · aeb قْرِيبْ (approximately) · it su per giù (approximately) · cmn 差不多 (almost) · es poco más o menos (approximately) · yi מער אָדער ווייניקער (approximately) · de ungefähr (approximately) · sh manje-više (approximately) · aeb تَطْلَعْ تَهْبِطْ (approximately) · fi enemmän tai vähemmän (almost) · ru бо́лее-ме́нее (almost) · de mehr oder weniger (approximately) · tr aşağı yukarı (approximately) · izh enemmän tali vähemmän (approximately) · ta ஏறத்தாழ (approximately) · cy mwy neu lai (approximately) · cmn 幾乎 /几乎 (almost) · oc mai o mens (approximately) · ka ასე თუ ისე (approximately) · sk viac-menej (approximately)