lesser-known

IPA/ˌles.əˈnəʊn/
IPA/ˌles.ɚˈnoʊn/

lesser-known — adjective

1. describes a person, place, thing, or topic that fewer people know about than ano

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a person, place, thing, or topic that fewer people know about than another one being compared with.

Example

The guidebook highlights lesser-known beaches on the quiet side of Okinawa.

attributive: lesser-known + noun

During the tour, we visited a lesser-known museum near the old station.

Common collocations
  • lesser-known author
  • lesser-known museum
  • lesser-known beach
  • lesser-known route
  • lesser-known side of history
Synonyms
  • little-known

    the closest neutral synonym; often interchangeable, but usually a little more common in everyday writing

  • obscure

    stronger and sometimes more literary; can suggest something is hard to notice or not widely discussed

  • under-the-radar

    informal; emphasizes that people have not paid much attention to it yet

Antonyms
  • well-known

    the direct opposite for people or things recognized by many people

  • famous

    stronger than 'lesser-known'; suggests very wide public recognition

Grammar Patterns

lesser-known + noun

Usage Note

Mostly used before a noun. The comparison is usually with a more famous or more widely recognized person, place, or work, even when that better-known alternative is not named directly.

Common Mistakes

It is an unknown museum near the station.
It is a lesser-known museum near the station.
'unknown' suggests people do not know it at all; 'lesser-known' means it is simply less familiar than better-known places.
She studied a less-known painter from Peru.
She studied a lesser-known painter from Peru.
In standard English, the fixed compound adjective is usually 'lesser-known'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Lesser-known' and 'little-known' both mean that relatively few people know about someone or something, but 'little-known' is usually the more ordinary choice in general writing. 'Obscure' is stronger and can suggest not only low public awareness but also difficulty in finding, understanding, or noticing the person or thing. 'Under-the-radar' is informal and highlights the idea that attention has not yet landed on it. Use 'lesser-known' when you want a comparative idea: it invites an implicit contrast with a more familiar alternative.

little-known ↗obscure ↗under-the-radar

Common collocations

Nouns

  • lesser-known author
  • lesser-known museum
  • lesser-known route
  • lesser-known band
  • lesser-known fact

Phrases

  • one of the lesser-known...
  • a lesser-known side of...
  • a lesser-known version of...

Prepositions

  • lesser-known than

Etymology

Old EnglishModern English

Built from 'lesser', an older comparative form of 'less', and the past participle 'known'. The compound developed in modern English to compare the level of public recognition attached to one person or thing with a better-known alternative.