twice as less
English
Etymology
twice + as + less.
Adverb
twice as less (not comparable)
- (nonstandard, proscribed) Half as much.
- 1987, Orr, Eleanor Wilson, Twice as Less, W. W. Norton & Co.:
- 2015 July 27, Yaroslav Vlasov, “Electioneering games in Siberia”, in Open Democracy:
- The governing party receives twice as less votes here than it does on average across Russia.
- 2002, Claude R. Phipps, editor, High-power Laser Ablation III, SPIE, page 415:
- But this[sic] two oncoming waves move with velocity approximately twice as less as previous component: […] .
- 2011, Cai Jinfa, Eric J. Knuth, editors, Early Algebraization: A Global Dialogue from Multiple Perspectives, Springer, page 83:
- The children also are able to construct a table to assist them in determining how many runs must be made by a truck and a trailer in order to transport 1080 tons of coal, if the truck can haul 30 tons per load and the trailer can carry twice as less coal per load.
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Usage notes
In order for the term to make proper sense, the subject should have a quantity that is multiplicative (or at least additive). It is preferable, however, to use a positive expression for the quantity, such as in half as much or half as many.
It may be seen used colloquially when the quantity is not multiplicative, as a form of emphatic. For example: He is twice as less intelligent than his father. The 'positive' expression (in this case, half as) is still preferred.