How to use at least in a sentence

Here is a nugget of valuable, albeit blunt, advice: don’t believe people who claim grammar isn’t important — because the opposite is true.

Poor diction and writing mechanics can rob you of job opportunities and even limit your social circles.

Because despite the best of intentions, we humans harbor heaps of unconscious judgment about how other people speak and write.

We may snicker with smug superiority when someone says “I am doing good” instead of “I am doing well.”

We may chortle and roll our eyes when “irregardless” flies from the mouths of people who think they’re much smarter than they are.

And yes, most educated individuals will disapprovingly crinkle their nose when confronted with “atleast” in a letter, text, resume, essay, or article.

 

“Atleast” v. “At Least”: Which One Is Correct?

The bottom line is that “atleast” is not a word. The correct version is “at least.”

“At” is a preposition denoting a particular time, place, date, state of being, or condition. The word “least” is an adjective that comes from the Old English word “læsest,” which means “lowest or smallest in power or position.

“People may also say “at the very least,” which means the same as “at least” with a tad more emphasis.

 

Diving Deeper Into “At Least”

“At least” is one of those phrases commonly mistaken for one word. Other common terms in this category include “a lot,” “a bit,” and “a little.”

 

Use “At Least” in a Sentence

“At least” is one of those phrases that can be used in a variety of circumstances. Let’s review a few.

 

“At Least” Example #1

At least we didn’t have to go to the hospital.

In this sentence, the speaker is expressing relief about avoiding a hospital visit. In this instance, “at least” serves as an expression of thankfulness.

 

“At Least” Example #2

We need at least 20 volunteers to make the event work.

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In this statement, “at least” acts as a numerical qualifier. The speaker is saying that a certain amount of volunteers is needed to pull off an event. Synonyms for “at least” in this sentence could include “a minimum of” and “no less than.”

 

“At Least” Example #3

He wasn’t very smart, but at least he was kind.

“At least” in this sentence refers to an unquantifiable sentiment. The speaker is arguing that although a man is lacking in one way, he makes up for it in another way.

How to use at least in a sentence
How to use at least in a sentence

Marcel Iseli

Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.

When you first started learning English, you may have memorized words such as English meaning of the word "at-least"; But now that you have a better understanding of the language, there’s a better way for you to learn meaning of "at-least" through sentence examples.

True, there are still words that you don’t know. But if you learn whole sentences with "at-least", instead of the word "at-least" by itself, you can learn a lot faster!



Focus your English learning on sentences with "at-least".

Why Is Focusing on Sentences Important?
Sentences are more than just strings of words. They’re thoughts, ideas and stories. Just like letters build words, words build sentences. Sentences build language, and give it personality.

Again, without sentences, there’s no real communication. If you were only reading words right now, you wouldn’t be able to understand what I’m saying to you at all.

- The Word "at-least" in Example Sentences.
- "at-least" in a sentence.
- How to use "at-least" in a sentence.
- 10 examples of sentences "at-least".
- 20 examples of simple sentences "at-least".

All the parts of speech in English are used to make sentences. All sentences include two parts: the subject and the verb (this is also known as the predicate). The subject is the person or thing that does something or that is described in the sentence. The verb is the action the person or thing takes or the description of the person or thing. If a sentence doesn’t have a subject and a verb, it is not a complete sentence (e.g., In the sentence “Went to bed,” we don’t know who went to bed).



Four types of sentence structure.

Simple Sentences with "at-least"

A simple sentence with "at-least"contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an object and modifiers. However, it contains only one independent clause.

Compound Sentences with "at-least"

A compound sentence with "at-least" contains at least two independent clauses. These two independent clauses can be combined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon.

Complex Sentences with "at-least"

A complex sentence with "at-least" contains at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Dependent clauses can refer to the subject (who, which) the sequence/time (since, while), or the causal elements (because, if) of the independent clause.

Compound-Complex Sentences with "at-least"

Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex sentence with "at-least" contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Where do you put at least in a sentence?

You use at least to say that something is the minimum that is true or possible. The forms at the least and at the very least are also used. She could take a nice holiday at least. He is at least content that there will be no immediate use of force.

How do you start a sentence with at least?

You could go with at the very least, which sounds a little over the top to me. I'd rephrase to 'It causes at least one problem: ...; it might also cause others. ' This usage of 'at least' is as a quantifier rather than a pragmatic marker.

How do you use least in a sentence?

He asked me to help him when I least expected it. That was the least important of her reasons. That was the least interesting book I have ever read..
She was not happy, to say the least. ... .
He is, to say the least, hopeful about the future..

How do you use at least in the middle of a sentence?

How to use At-least in a sentence.
It was at least partially true. ... .
I guess he is... or at least was. ... .
When Josh died, Mary had indicated that she felt Carmen was at least partially responsible..