A2noun · frequent

least

least · leasts

Preceded by the: superlative form of little: most littlePreceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the lowest-ranking or most insignificant person or (sometimes) group of people.

UK/liːst/US/list/

» I have at least ten books.

Ich habe mindestens zehn Bücher.

У мене є принаймні десять книжок.

Meaning

2 senses

Preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the lowest-ranking or most insignificant person or (sometimes) group of people.
even the least of
The pastor preached that even the least of God’s creatures deserves freedom from needless or idle cruelty.
Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit; a minimum.

More definitions

something that is of no importance

Examples

2197 sentences

I have at least ten books.
У мене є принаймні десять книжок.
deIch habe mindestens zehn Bücher.
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That's the least of my problems.
Це найменша з моїх проблем.
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Everybody needs at least one close friend.
Кожному потрібен хоба б один близький друг.
deJeder braucht wenigstens einen guten Freund.
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Everyone needs at least one close friend.
Кожному потрібен хоба б один близький друг.
deJeder braucht wenigstens einen guten Freund.
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These books are worth reading at least once.
Ці книги варто прочитати хоча б один раз.
ruЭти книги стоит прочитать хотя бы раз.
deDiese Bücher sind es wert, zumindest einmal gelesen zu werden.
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Origin

The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(a

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”).

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Forms

plural: leasts

Singular	least
Plural	leasts

regular

Collocations

12 patterns

at least least
least least
least least three
least least once
least three
least once a
least once
the least least
least least one
least least thirty
least least a
least three times