above

adverb

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\ ə-ˈbəv

Definition of above

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : in the sky : overhead the clouds above

b : in or to heaven

2a : in or to a higher place

b : higher on the same page or on a preceding page except as stated above

c : upstairs

d : above zero 10 degrees above

3 : in or to a higher rank or number 30 and above

4 archaic : in addition : besides

5 : upstage

above

preposition

Definition of above (Entry 2 of 4)

1a : in or to a higher place than : over a room above the store

b : upriver of anchored about 10 miles above the city

2a : superior to (as in rank, quality, or degree) A sergeant is above a corporal.

b : out of reach of above suspicion

c : in preference to puts his child's needs above his own needs

d : too proud or honorable to stoop to not above taking undue credit

3 : exceeding in number, quantity, or size : more than men above 50 years old

4 : as distinct from and in addition to heard the whistle above the roar of the crowd

above

noun

plural above

Definition of above (Entry 3 of 4)

1a : something that is above Select one of the above.

b : a person whose name is written above Contact any of the above for more information.

2a : a higher authority

b : heaven

above

adjective

Definition of above (Entry 4 of 4)

: written or discussed higher on the same page or on a preceding page Contact me at the above address.

Synonyms & Antonyms Using Above as an Adjective or Noun: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about above

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Synonyms & Antonyms for above

Synonyms: Adverb

Synonyms: Preposition

over

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Adverb

Antonyms: Preposition

Antonyms: Noun

Using Above as an Adjective or Noun: Usage Guide

Noun

Although still objected to by some, the use of above as a noun to mean "something that is above" none of the above the above is Theseus's opinion — William Blake and as an adjective without the above reserve — O. W. Holmes †1935 I was brought up on the above words — Viscount Montgomery has been long established as standard.

Examples of above in a Sentence

Adverb up above and down below Temperatures range from 5 below to 5 above. Preposition He raised his arms above his head. They hung a mirror above the mantel. We rented an apartment above a restaurant. Temperatures were above average all week. men above 50 years old She values her private time above her fame. He puts his child's needs above his own. Noun in her dying days she was supposedly visited by an angel from above

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb Given the ample competition noted above, take rate could decline further if Marqeta provides greater incentives (in the form of lower fees) in an effort to attract more customers to its platform. — David Trainer, Forbes, 8 June 2021 Watch the rest of Pratt's deep dive in the video above. — Maggie O'neill, Health.com, 8 June 2021 The video above, posted to YouTube by Ruin Road in 2017, gives some up-close views of the hunks of metal, plus other debris, like a child's tricycle and concrete chunks, that were used to stop the erosion. — Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 31 May 2021 As noted above, the IRS estimates these payments will go out to some 39 million households, which include about 88% of children in the US. — Andy Meek, BGR, 24 May 2021 Previously, as many as four songs entered in the top 10 together three times, in the frames noted above by Drake, Lil Wayne and Juice WRLD. — Gary Trust, Billboard, 24 May 2021 As noted above, Wooden has company in varnishing his public image through his visibility as an office-holder. — Jon Lender, courant.com, 21 May 2021 Race day: $50-$250, though as noted above, seats are not guaranteed. — Nat Newell, The Indianapolis Star, 17 May 2021 As noted above, gas causes lots of asthma and premature deaths. — Bill Mckibben, The New Yorker, 12 May 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition However, our forecast indicates that FedEx’s valuation is around $320 per share, which is roughly 20% above the current market price of around $267. — Trefis Team, Forbes, 8 June 2021 Climate scientists have concluded that if average world temperatures rise more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, our planet will suffer irreversible damage. — Star Tribune, 8 June 2021 At the same time, remote working took hold and is now expected to remain well above pre-pandemic levels, Assanie said. — Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 6 June 2021 Job postings in late May were nearly 26% above pre-pandemic levels, according to the employment website Indeed. — Christopher Rugaber, ajc, 4 June 2021 Target is seeing an uptick in clothing sales after a slow year during the pandemic, while Kohl's said men's and women's apparel sales are returning to or rising above pre-pandemic levels. — Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 4 June 2021 Real estate brokerage Redfin just released new data, revealing that nearly 40% of the homes in the U.S. are selling above the asking price. — Monique Valeris, Good Housekeeping, 2 June 2021 Just two of the 23 SPACs that announced deals in May were trading above their initial public offering price at the end of the month, figures from data provider SPAC Research show. — Amrith Ramkumar, WSJ, 1 June 2021 An average of about 28% of homes sold above their list price in January and February. — Aleix Veiga, chicagotribune.com, 27 May 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun For those familiar with Whedon’s work, all of the above should have inspired several pings of recognition. — Caroline Framke, chicagotribune.com, 5 Apr. 2021 The biggest open question is how any of the above will survive reconciliation, and how the White House plans to introduce the Build Back Better Agenda. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 29 Mar. 2021 All the above obviously requires that consumers charge their PHEVs overnight. — Neil Winton, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2021 The above comes from Amy Francis-Smith, vice president of the Birmingham Architecture Association, England. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2020 All of the above is based on what is known about the virus now. — Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic, 15 Aug. 2020 All of the above is to say: there's a mountain of content on HBO Max, and quite a bit of stuff that counts as both popular and critically acclaimed, but the service does an awful job of laying out a mat for new users to discover it. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 27 May 2020 For some of us, none-of-the-above is a viable option. — Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2020 The authentic visual above was posted by the climate scientist Ed Hawkins, from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. — Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective He wasn’t listed as doubtful, questionable, probable; none of the above. — Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 May 2021 All of the above are committed, in their own right, to helping female business owners achieve success. — Shelby Ying Hyde, Harper's BAZAAR, 24 May 2021 On The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erika Girardi is known for her designer clothes, glamorous lifestyle, immense wealth, and pop star alter ego Erika Jayne, who sings about all of the above. — Lia Beck, refinery29.com, 20 May 2021 Wrestling a giant like Amazon might take all of the above and more. — Caitlin Harrington, Wired, 19 Apr. 2021 This world premiere recorded at the Gerald Arpino Black Box Theatre at Joffrey Tower is visually provocative with its recurring camera shots from above and ensemble dancers wearing masks so tightly fitted they look painted on. — David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2021 This has turned places like Panjwai into a lottery of death, where people trying to get back to their homes are caught between whistling shells from above and homemade mines and roadside bombs planted by the Taliban from below. — New York Times, 8 Mar. 2021 This print has all of the above (and more), featuring 16 different Taylors in 16 different stages that any fan who's been there since the beginning will know. — Amanda Tarlton, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2020 All things equal — cost, health, character, all of the above and more — which would be the priority when considering allocation of resources: the elite pass rusher or the elite cover man? — Brad Biggs, chicagotribune.com, 15 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'above.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of above

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

circa 1515, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for above

Adverb

Middle English above, aboven, going back to Old English abufan, from a- a- entry 1 + bufan "above" (akin to Old Saxon bi-oƀan, Middle Dutch bōven, Old Frisian bova, Middle High German bobene), from be- be- + ufan "above, from above," going back to Germanic *uban- (whence Old Saxon oƀana "from above," Old High German obana), from *ub- "above, on" + *-an-, adverbial suffix — more at over entry 1