below

1 of 4

adverb

be·​low bi-ˈlō 

1

: in or to a lower place

gazed at the water below

voices from the apartment below

2

a

: on earth

… improvements in conditions here below …

—Times Literary Supplement (London)

b

: in or to Hades or hell

3

: on or to a lower floor or deck

ordered the crew below

4

a

: in, to, at, or by a lower rank or number

suitable for children age 10 and below

b

: below zero

the temperature was 20 below

5

: lower on the same page or on a following page

See the graph below.

6

: under the surface of the water

thirty fathoms below

below

2 of 4

preposition

1

a

: lower in place, rank, or value than : under

Our apartment is below theirs.

Her skirt reached below her knees.

The sun dipped below the horizon.

b

: down river from

moored a mile below town

c

: south of

located 20 miles below the nation's capital

2

: inferior to (as in rank)

A lieutenant is below a captain.

3

: not suitable to the rank of : beneath

considers such work below him

below

3 of 4

noun

: something that is below

below

4 of 4

adjective

: written or discussed lower on the same page or on a following page

the below list

Synonyms of below

Adverb

• underneath
• beneath

Preposition

• beneath
• under

Examples of below in a Sentence

Adverb

The pencil rolled off the desk and fell to the floor below.

The pilot looked down at the sea far below.

We heard the elevator stop at the floor below.

They secured the goods on deck and went below.

All personnel, captain and below, were ordered to report for duty.

Preposition

Our apartment is below theirs.

We could see only clouds below us.

The diver descended below 25 meters.

The sun disappeared below the horizon.

a spot directly below us

the valley far below us

Temperatures were below average all week.

She worked for wage rates below those of other workers.

He ranks far below his superior.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

According to Outword Magazine Fred Palmer, the owner of Scott’s, Alan Irvine, is extremely gay supportive and has hosted numerous events for both Outword and the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce (see below). —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026

Take a look at the rest of the images from Slow Horses season six below. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026

Preposition

Even in the 1970s, the RAND Corporation, a US thinktank, was investigating how Dassault managed to field advanced fighter jets on time and at a cost well below US manufacturers. —Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

Still, Cofer, the 2024 Sacramento mayoral candidate remained below the 50% plus one vote threshold needed to avoid a runoff. —Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026

Noun

AccuWeather has also forecast a below-average season. —Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2026

Perhaps granting the nation some reprieve, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has projected a below-average hurricane season, predicting eight to 14 named storms. —Mallory Wilson, The Hill, 4 June 2026

Adjective

Over the next five weeks the below list will be updated and informed by The Athletic’s new player ratings model, being launched for this summer’s tournament in North America, which will provide an objective assessment of each player’s contribution in a match. —Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 June 2026

In the below interview, Harris talks her process of translating Fortune’s debut novel to the small screen in terms of music selection, perspective of storytelling and more. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English bilooghe, from bi by + looghe low, adjective

Preposition

derivative of below entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of below entry 1

Adjective

adjective derivative of below entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

circa 1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1870, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing below

• below par
• below standard
• below the belt
• from below

Rhymes for below

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

below

1 of 2 adverb

be·​low bi-ˈlō 

1

: in or to a lower place

2

: on a lower floor or deck

3

: below zero

the temperature was 20 below

below

2 of 2 preposition

: lower than

the diver descends below 25 meters

below average

selling below cost

Legal Definition

below

1 of 2 adverb

be·​low

1

: in a lower court

the presumption that the decisions below…are correct

—W. J. Brennan, Jr.

2

: lower on the same page or on a following page

the paragraph below

below

2 of 2 preposition

: lower in place, rank, or value than