least

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   To the smallest degree or amount.

   She practised the routine she knew least.

2. 2
   adv

   Used to form the superlative of adjectives and adverbs, marking the lowest degree.

   It was the least surprising news of the year.

3. 3
   det

   The smallest amount of something.

   He earns the least money in his family.

4. 4
   pron

   The smallest amount or extent.

   I'm giving the least of all towards her present.

The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”), from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”). The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner. cognates * Old…

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