above

adverb

\ 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

aloft, over, overhead

Synonyms: Preposition

over

Synonyms: Noun

bliss, elysian fields, Elysium, empyrean, heaven, kingdom come, New Jerusalem, paradise, sky, Zion (also Sion)

Antonyms: Adverb

below, beneath, under

Antonyms: Preposition

below, beneath, under

Antonyms: Noun

Gehenna, hell, Pandemonium, perdition

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

One day Stefanie, who’d rediscovered the exhilaration of skiing with her older children (pictured above, along with her youngest son), approached the principal of the town’s only K–8 school. — Melody Warnick, Woman's Day, "These Small-Town Heroes Are Helping Their Communities Thrive," 2 Apr. 2019 The Aspen inn offers al fresco dining at 11,212 feet (pictured above) or near the pool with views of a living wall of flowers, unarguably the retreat's pièce de résistance. — Michaela Bechler, Vogue, "8 of the Most Beautiful Hotel Gardens in North America," 2 Oct. 2018 First in the collection is the entry-level, in-ear, wired Beat Byrd earphones (pictured above). — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "Beyerdynamic’s new earphones are designed to lay comfortably flat in your ears," 31 Aug. 2018 As above, visit the Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update menu, and click Get Started. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft's Windows 10 May 2019 Update can be downloaded now: Here's how," 8 Apr. 2019 Watch us open and inflate every float in the video above, and shop our picks below. — Maddie Hiatt, House Beautiful, "The 13 Coolest Pool Floats Of 2019," 6 Apr. 2019 The star of the collection is arguably the Eyeshadow Palette (above), which includes 15 colors — mostly shimmers with a few mattes thrown in — for just $20. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Ulta and Marvel Are Launching an Avengers Makeup Collection, and the Prices Are Heroic," 31 Mar. 2019 To see a sneak peek of the heartwarming comedy, watch the video above, and tune into Dumplin’ December 7 on Netflix. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Here's Your First Look at Netflix's New "Dumplin'' Movie," 6 Dec. 2018 Shop Roncal's entire beauty stash above—and watch the entire video to learn about her time as Beyonce's go-to makeup artist. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Mally Roncal's Beauty Stash is the Stuff of Dreams," 15 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

Last Light, our 11th-floor neighborhood bar, is a world above the heat of the city, with incredible, unobstructed views from our two rooftop decks. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Atelier Ace's New New York City Hotel Wants to Help You Clear Your Head," 14 May 2019 The online real-estate company posted strong first-quarter results late Thursday with revenue surging 51% compared with a year earlier, well above analyst estimates. — Laura Forman, WSJ, "Investors Flip For Zillow," 10 May 2019 Tide, Bounty and Crest maker Procter & Gamble rallied 6 percent to $95.89 after its profit came out ahead of expectations and its sales were well above analyst forecasts as well. — Marley Jay, The Seattle Times, "US stocks climb after strong earnings; IBM leads Dow rally," 23 Jan. 2019 So Bormanis came up with his own fictional heavy element, dysonium (named in honor of physicist Freeman Dyson), something with an atomic weight in the 130-135 range—well above the transuranic elements in the period table. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "The Orville blends science fiction and science fact into a winning mix," 29 Dec. 2018 For a city that spans just seven square miles, San Francisco punches well above its weight. — Condé Nast Traveler, "Women Who Travel Meetup: San Francisco, Here We Come," 2 Nov. 2018 One of Central America's most active volcanoes, the conical Volcan de Fuego reaches an altitude of 12,346 feet above sea level at its peak. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Guatemala volcano eruption kills at least 65, forces thousands to evacuate," 2 Oct. 2018 Castelli’s ex-wife Ileana Sonnabend had a floor above his at 420 West Broadway. — Town & Country, "Mary Boone Is Taking a Break," 18 Apr. 2019 But despite her many successes, there’s one song that stands out above the rest. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Reba McEntire Shares the Meaning of Her Song 'Fancy' and Why It's Still Popular Today," 3 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

To see images taken from high above was to realize this still novel technology might one day show far more than previously imagined. — Peter Manseau, Smithsonian, "Meet Mr. Mumler, the Man Who “Captured” Lincoln’s Ghost on Camera," 11 Oct. 2017 After the war, however, Roman coins (like the one above) match the signature of the silver mines in the Iberian Peninsula. — Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, "This coin reveals when Rome became an empire," 14 Aug. 2017 All of the above are made from chemicals or materials that are bad for the environment, so follow Forecastle's lead and stay away from the cliche party accessories. 5. — Bailey Loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "5 ways to help save the planet at Forecastle Festival," 6 July 2017 Above, 16 of our favorite makes (at every price point) of Mary Janes. — Rachel Waldman, Vogue, "Ditch Your Ballet Flats For Mary Janes," 28 June 2017 Above is Turkish coffee ice cream, Jivara-coffee Chantilly cream, ginger caramel, and chocolate fondant. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit, "5 Fancy Desserts from the Best Pastry Chefs in the Country," 21 Apr. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Both Apple Music and Spotify boast thousands upon thousands of all of the above and more. — Corey Seymour, Vogue, "Idagio—The Spotify For Classical Music—Has Changed My Life," 15 May 2019 To get the above effect, nail artist Steph Stone used Essie Gel Couture in Gossamer Garments. — Bella Cacciatore, Allure, "Confetti Nails Are the Coolest Manicure Trend for Summer," 9 May 2019 Potassium-Rich Picks The above foods are also high in fiber—along with whole grains—another key nutrient for heart health. — Marygrace Taylor, Woman's Day, "4 Heart-Healthy Diet Changes Every Woman Should Make," 1 May 2019 And then there's this person who does all of the above depending on the day. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Twitter is in a Bloody Battle Over the Right Way to Put on a Bra," 28 Mar. 2019 Children who participate in any of the above workshops will get instruction and experience using a sewing machine. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Vernon Edition," 10 July 2018 The above photo by former Times staff photographer Don Cormier appeared in the July 17, 1966, Los Angeles Times. — Scott Harrison, latimes.com, "From the Archives: Helicopters fight a 1966 brush fire," 10 July 2018 The above video shows a CV-22 from Cannon Air Force Base flying over the valleys of New Mexico before linking up with a KC-10 Extender aerial refueling tanker, a military version of the now defunct DC-10 jetliner. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Watch The Harrowing Way A Osprey Refuels in Midair," 13 Mar. 2019 Watch the above video to get inspired, and see which eye makeup is the most flattering when paired with AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses in Honey, Turquoise, and Sterling Gray. — Marie Claire, "The Makeup That's Most Flattering for Your Eye Color," 31 Jan. 2019

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