For a more complex and hopefully helpful answer, let's start with a concrete example. If you have a glass with some water in it, the water is a measurable quantity (less/more), and the height of the top surface is a level (high/low). You would ask, "How much water is there?", and, "How high is the water?"
comparatives - Why do we use “more ADJECTIVE” and “less ADJECTIVE” with ...
The difference between "less than" and "smaller than" is more subtle when negative numbers are included. In terms of pure math alone, many find it acceptable to say both that "-6 is less than -4" and "-6 is smaller than -4".
Is there another way of saying “less is more" in the following context? They changed their packaging and left only the essential branding on it. It epitomizes "less is more".
phrases - Is there another way of saying "less is more"? - English ...
To me, it would sound really strange if someone used "not more (less)" instead of "no more (less)" in this case. As for positivity and negativity, I agree with Brandin that there's an ambiguity here and that it seems that the positivity/negativity is more mathematical than it is related to connotation.
I have questions about the use of no more than and no less than . The following is the item 14. phrase of the word more from COBUILD online dictionary. You use no more than or not more than when ...
However, I think you might mention that regardless of the characters' names or official prescriptions for use, the less-than and greater-than signs are commonly used as a type of brackets, probably because they can easily be typed and their display is more widely supported than that of the other symbols.