plural in construction
: not many persons or things
few were present
few of his stories are true
1
: consisting of or amounting to only a small number
one of our few pleasures
2
: at least some but indeterminately small in number
—used with a
caught a few fish
fewness
noun
see also:
plural in construction
1
: a small number of units or individuals
a few of them
2
: a special limited number
the discriminating few
Examples of few in a Sentence
Adjective
He caught fewer fish than the rest of us.
There are fewer children at the school this year.
Not many people came, but the few people who did enjoyed themselves.
Noun
a few of the songs on the album are good, but most are forgettable
Recent Examples on the Web
Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Surprisingly, there are a few dresses worn by society figures of a bygone age when Denver was an up-and-coming metropolis, made rich by mining and the westward expansion of American culture.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
There have been few moments this season when at least one of them was not on the court, heralding the ball while running the offense.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
With so much already baked into the cake due to the spike in energy prices over the last month, suspending the RFS is one of the few things that can still make a positive difference for consumers.
—E.j. Antoni, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for few
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Adjective
Then a few pieces of the band exited.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Surprisingly, there are a few dresses worn by society figures of a bygone age when Denver was an up-and-coming metropolis, made rich by mining and the westward expansion of American culture.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
There have been few moments this season when at least one of them was not on the court, heralding the ball while running the offense.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
With so much already baked into the cake due to the spike in energy prices over the last month, suspending the RFS is one of the few things that can still make a positive difference for consumers.
—E.j. Antoni, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for few
Cite this Entry
“Few.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/few. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
few
1 of 3 pronoun
: not many persons or things
—used in plural
few were present
few
2 of 3 adjective1
: amounting to only a small number
one of the few sports I play
2
: not many but some
caught a few fish
fewness
noun
few
3 of 3 noun1
: a small number of units or individuals
a few of them
2
: a special limited number
the select few
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