These two word are both comparative quantifiers (words which describe quantities), and less can also act as a comparative degree adverb (a word which describes the degree of an adjective, adverb, or verb). Fewer can only modify nouns, and only nouns which are countable, while less only modifies non-countable nouns (as well as adjectives, adverbs, […]

These adjectives are related but have almost opposite meanings. Exceptionable means “able to be excepted” and “excepted” means “taken out”; so exceptionable literally means “likely to be taken out” or “likely to be objected to,” or “able to be censored”: Please remove any exceptionable language from your speech. Exceptionable is related to the phrase “to take […]

The meanings of these words are not related.Elicit is a verb meaning “to pull certain information or actions out of someone”—in other words, to cause someone to say or do something in particular by directly interacting with them. The objects of the verb elicit are often the nouns response, reaction, suggestion, idea, or other synonyms. […]

To has two functions: it is (1) a preposition with many meanings, and (2) part of the infinitive form of verbs in English, e.g. to run, to walk, to say. As a preposition, it usually implies direction towards:I give this to you.I moved to Sweden. As part of infinitive verb forms, to has no meaning. It simply marks the […]

These words sound the same, and their meanings do overlap, metaphorically, but they are quite different. First of all, both words are nouns, but only flare can also be a verb. Flair, which is always a noun, means either “talent” or “style”:         She went to art school because she had a flair (talent) for visual […]