What's the difference between least and lesser?

Least


Definition:

  • (a.) Smallest, either in size or degree; shortest; lowest; most unimportant; as, the least insect; the least mercy; the least space.
  • (adv.) In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others; as, to reward those who least deserve it.
  • (conj.) See Lest, conj.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The most actively proliferating region of the excurrent duct system is zone 3 of the epididymis, whereas the least active region is the ductuli efferentes.
  • (2) These channels may, at least in some cases, be responsible for the generation of pacemaker depolarizations, thereby regulating firing behaviour.
  • (3) Arachidic acid was without effect, while linoleic acid and linolenic acid were (on a concentration basis) at least 5-times less active than arachidonic acid.
  • (4) These results show that the pathogenic phenotypes of MCF viruses are dissociable from the thymotropic phenotype and depend, at least in part, upon the enhancer sequences.
  • (5) These organic compounds were found to be stable on the sorbent tubes for at least seven days.
  • (6) Because cystine in medium was converted rapidly to cysteine and cysteinyl-NAC in the presence of NAC and given that cysteine has a higher affinity for uptake by EC than cystine, we conclude that the enhanced uptake of radioactivity was in the form of cysteine and at least part of the stimulatory effect of NAC on EC glutathione was due to a formation of cysteine by a mixed disulfide reaction of NAC with cystine similar to that previously reported for Chinese hamster ovarian cells (R. D. Issels et al.
  • (7) The patients should have received treatment for at least seven days and they should not be "ill".
  • (8) Extensive studies during recent years have shown that the interaction between hormone and membrane-bound receptor can affect the receptor characteristics in at least two ways.
  • (9) This modulation results from repetitive, alternating bursts of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, which are caused at least in part by synaptic feedback to the command neurons from identified classes of neurons in the feeding network.
  • (10) But the wounding charge in 2010 has become Brown's creation of a structural hole in the budget, more serious than the cyclical hit which the recession made in tax receipts, at least 4% of GDP.
  • (11) For his lone, perilous journey that defied the US occupation authorities, Burchett was pilloried, not least by his embedded colleagues.
  • (12) In 22 cases (63%), retinal detachment was at least partially flattened in the area of the posterior pole of the eye.
  • (13) An experimental Anaplasma marginale infection was induced in a splenectomized mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) which persisted subclinically at least 376 days as detected by subinoculation into susceptible cattle.
  • (14) The family comprises at least three variable (V) gene segments, three constant (C) gene segments, and three junction (J) gene segments.
  • (15) TR was classified as follows: severe (massive systolic opacification and persistence of the microbubbles in the IVC for at least 20 seconds); moderate (moderate systolic opacification lasting less than 20 seconds); mild (slight systolic opacification lasting less than 10 seconds); insignificant TR (sporadic appearance of the contrast medium into the IVC).
  • (16) In vivo studies were performed in five healthy subjects for at least 3 h after ingestion of radiolabeled meals.
  • (17) Ryzhkov added: "I believe they want to keep him in prison for another three or four years at least, so he is not released until well after the next presidential elections in 2012."
  • (18) Patients served as their individual control based on observations of at least 1 year before the study.
  • (19) The reproducibility of the killing-curve method suggests that at least two different concentrations should be used and that a decrease in viable counts below 2 log10 after 24 hours does not exclude a synergistic action.
  • (20) She was not aware that it was an assassination attempt by alleged foreign agents.” If at least one of the women thought the killing was part of an elaborate prank, it might explain the “LOL” message emblazoned in large letters one of the killers t-shirts.

Lesser


Definition:

  • (a.) Less; smaller; inferior.
  • (adv.) Less.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The high transition enthalpy for kerasin is ascribed to a lesser accommodation of gauche conformers in the hydrocarbon chains just below the transition temperature.
  • (2) Accidentally discovered nearly 40 years ago as the first true antidepressants, the MAOIs soon fell into disfavor due to concerns about toxicity and seemingly lesser efficacy compared with the newer tricyclic compounds.
  • (3) Comparison of the 50% binding concentrations of the compounds for the various PBPs of the five strains with their antibacterial activity indicates that the different antibiotics are excluded to a greater or lesser degree by the outer membrane permeability barrier and that the exclusion is most pronounced in P. aeruginosa.
  • (4) The analysis of blood lead concentration revealed an evident biological response to this environmental change: there was a decrease in blood lead level between 1977 and 1987, in both the countryside (control group) and, to a lesser extent, in the city.
  • (5) While the heaviest anterogradely labeled ascending projections were observed to the contralateral ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus, pars oralis (VPLo), efferent projections were also observed to the contralateral ventrolateral thalamic nucleus (VLc) and central lateral (CL) nucleus of the thalamic intralaminar complex, magnocellular (and to a lesser extent parvicellular) red nucleus, nucleus of Darkschewitsch, zona incerta, nucleus of the posterior commissure, lateral intermediate layer and deep layer of the superior colliculus, dorsolateral periaqueductal gray, contralateral nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis and basilar pontine nuclei (especially dorsal and peduncular), and dorsal (DAO) and medial (MAO) accessory olivary nuclei, ipsilateral lateral (external) cuneate nucleus (LCN) and lateral reticular nucleus (LRN), and to a lesser extent the caudal medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and caudal nucleus prepositus hypoglossi (NPH), and dorsal medullary raphe.
  • (6) Higher anxiety, depression and psychiatric morbidity scores were reported by all patients at 6 and, to a lesser extent, at 12 weeks with greater differences in women.
  • (7) Beta 1 activity increased during the first 10 min of KB in occipital and to a lesser degree in parietal regions.
  • (8) Testis MAPs promoted microtubule assembly, but to a lesser degree than brain MAPs.
  • (9) Following injections of HRP into the apex of the heart, the sinoatrial (SA) nodal region and the ventral wall of the right ventricle, we observed that HRP-labeled sympathetic neurons were localized predominantly in the right stellate ganglia, and to a lesser extent, in the right superior and middle cervical ganglia, and left stellate ganglia.
  • (10) The ampullar epithelium showed similar changes, but to a lesser extent.
  • (11) Mucosal drying medications and senile salivary gland atrophy seemed to contribute to the high frequency of sicca in this population with a lesser proportion of the subjects demonstrating previously undiagnosed Sjögren's and possible Sjögren's syndrome.
  • (12) The antibody reacted with adult as well as with cord red cells, and its reactivity was strongly diminished by treatment of the cells with neuraminidase and to a lesser degree by treatment with protease.
  • (13) A lesser inhibitory effect (a decrease in the rate of precipitation) was observed when gallbladder bile was diluted but was lost after 10-fold dilution.
  • (14) The pump function of the heart (oxygen debt dynamics), the anaerobic threshold (complex of gas analytical indices), and the efficacy of blood flow in lesser circulation (O2 consumption plateau) were appraised.
  • (15) From the 32nd week on, the twins' mean weekly BPD increment decreased, this lesser growth rate being more marked than that of singletons.
  • (16) DR(+) cells, however, showed no change in percentage and a lesser drop in absolute numbers, suggesting an increase with advancing disease of DR(+), Ig(-) null cells, which may represent immature B cell precursors.
  • (17) Inositol prevented the glucocorticoid-induced decrease in lung protein and, to a lesser extent, the decrease in DNA.
  • (18) He got away with a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and served five years.
  • (19) The depletion is more effective in axonal and synaptic regions (85-90%) than in the somata (55%), is reasonably specific for serotonin (dopamine is affected to a much lesser extent), and is transient, with normal levels of neurotransmitter being restored by 2 months.
  • (20) Since ED50 values are a measure of cellular sensitivity (the greater the ED50 value the lesser the cellular sensitivity), the order of sensitivity to ACTH was ADW greater than K greater than SLD and the order of sensitivity to pregnenolone was ADW greater than K = SLD.