mehr oder minder
Translation
more or less, to a greater or lesser extent
Examples
Das Experiment war mehr oder minder ein Erfolg.
The experiment was more or less a success.
Er hat die Aufgabe mehr oder minder gut erledigt.
He completed the task more or less well.
Grammar Patterns
((Adverbial phrase)) modifies a statement That was more or less to be expected.
Similar Words
Synonyms: mehr oder weniger, ungefähr (approximately); Antonyms: genau (exactly), exakt (exact)
Etymology
Made up of 'mehr' (more), 'oder' (or), and 'minder' (less). 'Minder' is an archaic or literary equivalent of 'weniger' (less).
Memory Tips
Associate 'minder' with 'minus' to remember it means 'less'. It's a slightly more formal version of the common 'mehr oder weniger'.