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
plural in construction
1
: a small number of units or individuals
a few of them
2
: a special limited number
the discriminating few
Synonyms
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
Marni Jameson, arkansasonline.com, 19 Oct. 2024
The changes meant that Donnelly had to reorient her portrayal of Joan with just a few weeks of rehearsal.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
In each season, Neva grows a little bit bigger, with a few more defining features, and also learns some new mechanics for combat and exploration.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024
Generators are a luxury for most Cubans and only a few could be heard running in the city.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for few 
Adjective
According to hardware experts, the lifespan for hinges and handles can range from a few years to decades, with 10 to 15 years being average.
—Marni Jameson, arkansasonline.com, 19 Oct. 2024
The changes meant that Donnelly had to reorient her portrayal of Joan with just a few weeks of rehearsal.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
In each season, Neva grows a little bit bigger, with a few more defining features, and also learns some new mechanics for combat and exploration.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024
Generators are a luxury for most Cubans and only a few could be heard running in the city.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for few
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'few.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near few
Cite this Entry
“Few.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/few. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.
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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