more or less

• more-or-less

• (General American) IPA^(key): /mɔɹ ɔɹ lɛs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

more or less (not comparable)

2. Approximately.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:approximately

   There were a hundred people in the room, more or less.

   • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 5:

     The sporophyte foot is also characteristic: it is very broad and more or less lenticular or disciform, as broad or broader than the calyptra stalk […] , and is sessile on the calyptra base […]

4. Almost.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:almost

   I've more or less guaranteed myself a top mark in my final exams.

6. To varying extents, across instances; to an extent that varies among cases.

   [X] is always more or less of a [Y]

   Entrepreneurship is always more or less of a gamble.

   • 1927, Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook of Elbert Hubbard: Mottos, Epigrams, Short Essays, Passages, Orphic Sayings and Preachments: Coined from a Life of Love, Laugher and Work‎^[1], William H. Wise and Company, page 197:

     The weaknesses of the many make the leader possible—and the man who craves disciples and wants followers is always more or less of a charlatan. The man of genuine worth and insight wants to be himself; and he wants others to be themselves, also. Discipleship is a degenerating process to all parties concerned. People who are able to do their own thinking should not allow others to do it for them.

   • 2011 [1974], Pierce Walker, quotee, edited by Studs Terkel, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, Kindle edition, New Press, →ISBN, pages 73-74:

     The big complaint you hear is that when you [a farmer] take your product to the market, you take what they give you. And when you go buy on the other end, you pay what they say. So you’re at their mercy on both ends, more or less.

• “more or less”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.