Few Word Meaning

Old English fēawe, fēawa, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fao, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin paucus and Greek pauros ‘small’

a small number of

small number of

• may I ask a few questions?

used to emphasize how small a number is

emphasizing small size of group of people etc.

• he had few friends
• sewing was one of her few pleasures
• comforts here are few
• a population of fewer than two million
• ask which products have the fewest complaints

Old English fēawe, fēawa, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fao, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin paucus and Greek pauros ‘small’

a small number of

small number of

• may I ask a few questions?

used to emphasize how small a number is

emphasizing small size of group of people etc.

• he had few friends
• sewing was one of her few pleasures
• comforts here are few
• a population of fewer than two million
• ask which products have the fewest complaints

a small number of people or things

small number of

• I will recount a few of the stories told me
• there are hundreds of applicants but only a few are selected
• many believe it but only a few are prepared to say so

used to emphasize how small a number of people or things is

emphasizing small size of group of people etc.

• few thought to challenge these assumptions
• he was one one of the few who survived
• very few of the titles have any literary merit

the minority of people; the elect

minority of people

• art is not just for the few
• a world that increasingly belongs to the few