Is there any difference between "at least' and "at the least"? Many online dictionaries define them as identical, but here is a multiple choice question: ___, American roots are no longer an easy selling point. Through much of the postwar period, US brands could play off this cachet; Levi's ad campaigns used wholesome themes of boy-meets-girl in a heartland American setting until the early 1990s. A At least B At the least C At most D At the most And the correct answer is B, the reference book provides no explanation. Please kindly tell me why.