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"not less than" vs. "at least"

"not less than" vs. "at least"

"not less than" vs. "at least"

(OP)
Which do you prefer?

I think "at least" is much better.

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

Not less than leans to negative. At least is positive. Are you in marketing?

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

I prefer "at least".

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

Depends on use and context.

In a specification, if you ask for "at least", or "as a minimum", that is what you will get.

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

I agree it has to be reviewed in context.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

I'm more comfortable with 'not less than' when specifying an absolute minimum pipe wall thickness allowed.

NozzleTwister
Houston, Texas

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

I prefer "at least".  It means exactly the same thing (both include the lower bound), uses only two words instead of three, and doesn't take one through the mental step of a negative.

However, I frequently encounter people who think that "at least" isn't proper legal or specification language.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

Heh, Picture this scenario:
Q: OK, how many independant testimonials are there to support this?
A pos: At least 3
A neg: Not more than 3
Subtle, to be sure.

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

There's also "n or more..." - especially if you're dealing with an integer quantity.

A.

RE: "not less than" vs. "at least"

rnd2,

Your example is wrong if you intended the negative to mean the same as the positive. The neg should've been "No less than 3" to mean the same as your positive example.

NozzleTwister
Houston, Texas

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