ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fewest

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈfjuəst// UK //fjˈuːəst// fewest

adj. the smallest number of things or people. You use it when you are comparing three or more groups and want to talk about the one with the lowest count.

adj. the superlative form of 'few'; representing the smallest number of countable units within a comparison of three or more sets.


SIMPLE

The team with the fewest points loses the game.

CONTEXTUAL

Among all the local schools, this one has the fewest students per classroom, allowing for more individual attention.

COMPLEX

The candidate who receives the fewest votes in the first round of the election is automatically eliminated from the subsequent runoff.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Superlative adjective used with countable nouns. Always preceded by the definite article 'the' when used as a determiner.

Pitfall

the fewest waterthe least waterFewest is used only with countable nouns; use 'least' for uncountable substances or abstract concepts.

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