“Not The Least Of Which” – Meaning, Origin & Usage (+11 Examples)

Sometimes, we’ll come across a phrase in English that doesn’t seem to make any logical sense but is actually perfectly feasible and follows all grammar rules necessary. “Not the least of which” is a perfect example of what we mean. Read it to yourself now. It looks confusing, right? It doesn’t seem like it makes any sense. Well, let’s explain what it is and how you can use it yourself.

What Is The Meaning Of “Not The Least Of Which”?

The meaning of “not the least of which” is “one of the biggest” or “one of the most important.” We typically use it when we’re writing comparative sentences that explain something about a finding. You can use it informally and formally to state a fact or opinion you deem to be of great importance compared to some of the other facts or opinions you might offer throughout the conversation.

Confused yet? You don’t have to be. Actually, the phrase makes sense; it just uses many words to say one straightforward thing. If you have a long list of things that you want to convey but not much time to say any of it, it’s typical for you to break it down into the most important parts to save time. This way, people will stay engaged with you and what you’re saying, and it helps you get your point across without losing any flavor.

So, saying “not the least of which” helps you split up your long list of things into one simpler list. The list now only contains the most important pieces of information you want to get across to the group or individuals listening to you. This way, they get the bulk of the information without worrying too much about the rest of it.

Say, for instance, “people must stop driving drunk for many reasons, not the least of which is because they can kill other people.” See how we listed “many reasons” to show that there is more information to give. However, we wanted to narrow it down to the most important of all the reasons, which is why we used “not the least of which” to put that point across.

11 Examples Of How To Use “Not The Least Of Which”

Now that we’ve explained most of what we need to with the phrase, it’s time to take a deeper look into it. The best way to learn about it and how it works in sentences is to get a practical sense of it. We’ve put together some examples that show you exactly how it belongs in a sentence and what situations you might end up using it yourself. It’s not the most common phrase out there, but it’s good to know and understand.

1. People must stop driving drunk for many reasons, not the least of which is because they can kill other people.
2. I don’t love you because of a few things, not the least of which is because you don’t wash anymore.
3. My study found many errors, not the least of which being an error in the internal coding of the system.
4. The findings showed us the welfare of the population, not the least of which being a critical all-time low that needs urgent action.
5. Countries go to war for many reasons, not the least of which being religious differences.
6. I don’t vote for a couple of reasons, not the least of which being because I don’t understand politics.
7. You can’t park here, sir. There are rules, not the least of which is you have to have a permit.
8. I need you to understand me because I have reasons, not the least of which is that what I have to say matters.
9. The reasons are clear, not the least of which is how you can’t look after yourself anymore.
10. I need to put my dad in a home for a few reasons, not the least of which is because he can’t eat or drink without assistance.
11. The government keeps records on us for our own safety precautions, not the least of which is making sure we don’t get into trouble.

See how we’re offering a variety of things or a list of reasons that might occur for each situation in each of these examples. However, because we want to save time (and often only use one sentence), “not the least of which” helps us get our meaning across without much care. People will understand your intention, and that is good enough for just about everyone. Try it for yourself.

We will say, though, that “not the least of which” is a bit too long-winded for typical conversation usually. Many people get caught up in the syntax, so you’d be better off saying “one of the biggest” or something similar.

“Not The Least Of Which” Synonyms

Let’s finish with some synonyms with the same meaning as “not the least of which.” As we said, “not the least of which” is regarded as a bit too much for many people. There are two many words, and it sounds too confusing to fit nicely into a sentence. For that reason, we encourage you to try out one of these synonyms instead and see how they work for you.

• One of the biggest

We’ve mentioned it across the whole article, but this is the exact definition of “not the least of which” without as many words. If you’re struggling to find good use of “not the least of which” or simply don’t like saying or writing it, then “one of the biggest” is by far the superior choice for you.

• The most important being

If you’re listing the most valuable point of your list to somebody, then this phrase works just as well as “not the least of which” or “one of the biggest.” Again, it’s much easier to understand than “not the least of which,” and we encourage you to try it out.

• The main point

The last synonym gets us straight to the point. We’ve introduced our list in the same way as the examples above, but this time, we skip straight to “the main point” with no fluff.