Least
Least (lēst) , adjective
[Old English last, lest, Anglo-Saxon lasast, lasest, superl. of lassa less. See Less, a.]
Smallest, either in size or degree; shortest; lowest; most unimportant; as, the least insect; the least mercy; the least space. [Used as the superlative of little.]
I am the least of the apostles.
He who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses
The tempted with dishonor.
Upon the mast they saw a young man, at least if he were a man, who sat as on horseback.
Least is often used with the, as if a noun.
Collocations (1)
At least or At the least , at the least estimate, consideration, chance, etc.; being no less than; hence, at any rate; at all events; even. See However.
It takes as its fundamental principle that the most probable values are those which make the sum of the squares of the residual errors of the observation a minimum.
Least , adverb
In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others; as, to reward those who least deserve it.
Least , conjunction