The Collaborative International Dictionary
Least \Least\ (l[=e]st), a. [OE. last, lest, AS. l[=ae]sast, l[=ae]sest, superl. of l[=ae]ssa less. See Less, a.] [Used as the superlative of little.] Smallest, either in size or degree; shortest; lowest; most unimportant; as, the least insect; the least mercy; the least space.
Note: Least is often used with the, as if a noun.
I am the least of the apostles.
--1 Cor. xv.
9.
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.
He who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses
The tempted with dishonor.
--Milton.
Upon the mast they saw a young man, at least if he
were a man, who sat as on horseback.
--Sir P.
Sidney.
In least, or In the least, in the least degree, manner,
etc. ``He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in
much.''
--Luke xvi. 10.
Least squares (Math.), a method of deducing from a number of carefully made yet slightly discordant observations of a phenomenon the most probable values of the unknown quantities.
Note: 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.
Wiktionary
adv. (context idiomatic English) at all, in any way
WordNet
adv. to any extent at all; "are you in the least interested?" [syn: even a little]
in the slightest degree or in any respect; "Are you at all interested? No, not at all"; "was not in the least unfriendly" [syn: at all, the least bit]
Usage examples of "in the least".
When he turned to face her, he was not in the least surprised to see her lovely face creased with fury.
To tell the truth, at the time I was so completely over-- whelmed by it as to be unable to grasp, in the least degree, what significance it had for me.
Unlike Tom and the KDT and the fundamentalists, I have known Christopher Goodman almost all of his life, and he has never once told me a lie or done anything that was in the least bit self-serving.