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 Phrases Containing above Learn More About above

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb As briefly mentioned above, this is spearheaded by how quickly technology is evolving and the unrelenting need to protect intellectual property, as many hacking capabilities that are running rampant now weren’t a few years ago. — Bojan Šimić, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 To assist a shelter in your community not mentioned above, reach out or visit their website. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 It’s these ten atoms, held by the electric fields mentioned above, that do the computing. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 1 Aug. 2022 The set also includes three video game cartridges of the iconic game titles that McVeigh mentioned above. — Andy Meek, BGR, 1 Aug. 2022 As mentioned above, some organizations do not recommend that consumers use spray sunscreens for multiple reasons. — Emily Rekstis, Allure, 27 July 2022 As mentioned above, the Bulldog Summer Bash is Aug. 6. — cleveland, 24 July 2022 As mentioned above, smarter charging protocols could cut into this gap; Wang also said that FAA regulations require reserve flying time which also means the batteries will never be fully discharged. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, 21 July 2022 In addition to the trio of stadium-adjacent restaurants mentioned above, the intersection of Agate Street and 19th Avenue is home to a very busy McMenamin’s and the beloved local ice cream shop Prince Pückler’s (good luck pronouncing that umlaut). — oregonlive, 16 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition Last 30 days have had 17 which is a few above average for the stretch. — Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 But in its mid-season update, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration slightly adjusted its prediction for an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. — Natalia Galicza, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2022 Fahrenheit, above average even for one of the hottest places on earth. — New York Times, 4 Aug. 2022 The well-above-average temperatures of the past week, climbing into record-challenging triple digits for many of the region’s lower valleys, have only worsened the dry environment, according to Buckingham. — Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2022 The Excessive Heat Warning in place for much of the greater Seattle area was extended through Saturday with above-average temperatures expected to last longer than originally expected. — CBS News, 29 July 2022 The above-average snowpack and a cool spring meant the Columbia River was flowing with cool temperatures preferred by salmon, trout and other species. — Evan Bush, NBC News, 29 July 2022 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, AccuWeather and Colorado State University were among the most prominent entities predicting an above-average hurricane season. — Joe Mario Pedersen, Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2022 The outlook for the US in August shows the chances of above-average temperatures persisting across the lower 48 states. — Judson Jones, CNN, 25 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun None of the above should be surprising or sound new to anyone who has been following Middle Eastern news for the past 15 years. — Amir Avivi, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2022 All of the above should be clearly documented so new salespeople can be quickly trained and sales can be scaled. — Pradeep Aradhya, Forbes, 13 June 2022 Though the above seems daunting, the answer is yes! — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2022 All of the above comes at something of a rocky time for crypto, as leading digital currencies bitcoin and ether have weathered steep declines of more than 20 percent in recent weeks. — Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2022 All of the above is only a brief overview of the many immunological tricks SARS-CoV-2 has in its repertoire. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021 All of the above is easier said than done, but what isn’t? — New York Times, 28 Dec. 2021 As the above makes clear, the problem continues to plague the U.S. — Michael Ashley, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021 Experiences like the above will influence expectations from a hybrid workplace. — Babu Sivadasan, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The final design, a rendering of which is above, takes into account input from roughly 2,000 people, from the city and from the suburbs. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2022 In 510 career games over six seasons in the majors, Jeremy Giambi hit 52 home runs and had a well-above average on-base percentage of .377, a fact hammered home by Brad Pitt's fictionalized version of A's general manager Billy Beane in the movie. — Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 30 June 2022 Watch the latest episode of Billboard Explains above to learn more about pride anthems and their origins. — Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 23 June 2022 Taken by Randy Shropshire with Jeff Vespa as production lead and obtained exclusively by Variety, the photo is above. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 17 June 2022 But Holmgren was arguably the best rim protector in college basketball last year, and his above-average ball-handling for a big man and strong outside shooting gives him a chance to emerge as the best player in the draft. — Omari Sankofa Ii, Detroit Free Press, 22 May 2022 Robotaxis, especially with services like those above, will be able to seduce even more people away from car ownership, but the big question is, how many? — Brad Templeton, Forbes, 26 Apr. 2022 Only one city neighborhood, Over-the-Rhine, has an above-average percentage of both high school dropouts (12%) and people with advanced degrees (18.8%). — Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 10 Mar. 2022 The move was so above-board that the administration sent an unmarked cargo plane to Tehran, filled with wooden pallets stacked with euros, Swiss francs, and other currencies. — David Harsanyi, National Review, 7 Mar. 2022 See More

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