less so

adjective

Contextual comparative. Modifies another adjective (to which the "so" is a direct anaphoric reference), indicating a lesser degree of the quality in question.

“Some are rich, others less so.”

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Meanings

adjectiveless so (not comparable)
  1. not comparableContextual comparative. Modifies another adjective (to which the "so" is a direct anaphoric reference), indicating a lesser degree of the quality in question.

    Some are rich, others less so.

Cite this entry
APA

less so. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/less%20so

MLA

“less so.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/less%20so. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “less so,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/less%20so.

Source: less so on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.