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

Tickets to see artists featured in the slideshow above, as well as many others, are no longer available at face-value prices. — Peter Dawson, Houston Chronicle, "The cheapest and most expensive tickets available for Houston's summer concerts," 10 July 2019 Lux cars are driven by drivers with a 4.85-star rating or above, and cost more than a standard Lyft ride or the company’s less-expensive Shared ride. — Washington Post, "Uber offers riders more legroom, less chatting at a price," 9 July 2019 The hot, partially molten region pushes upwards on what’s above, similar to how a helium balloon might rise up against a sheet draped over it. — The Conversation, oregonlive.com, "Earthquake risk along NW coast is not the same for all areas," 8 July 2019 In all, just eight candidates are currently polling at 2% or above, either nationally or in the early primary states, but Democratic officials have been loath to quash anyone's hopes quite yet. — Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, "Watch live: At first 2020 debate, O'Rourke, Warren and Castro jockey for edge in huge Democratic pack," 26 June 2019 This court can find no meaningful difference between computer language, particularly high-level languages as defined above, and German or French. . — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "What Is Facebook?," 25 June 2019 In the video above, Olympic track star Brigetta Barrett shares her story on overcoming mental health struggles and her thoughts on racial injustice. — Jessica Ciosek, refinery29.com, "How This Track Olympian Overcame Mental Illness," 20 June 2019 Just like the techniques above, the guided imagery and relaxation methods in these programs work for two reasons, Dr. Rosen says. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "How to Go to Sleep Fast, According to Sleep Specialists," 10 June 2019 View Sample Sign Up Now First-timers Four teams are making World Cup debuts: Scotland, Chile, South Africa (above) and Jamaica. — Siobhan Morrin, Time, "5 Big Stories to Watch in the Women's World Cup," 5 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

The banking system too is vulnerable: holdings of Italian sovereign debt account for a tenth of Italian lenders’ assets, well above the euro-area average. — The Economist, "Will Matteo Salvini wreck the euro?," 13 July 2019 About four inches above the main bone layer, in what was thought to be fossil-free rock that could be chipped away, there lay an accumulation of tiny bones. — Riley Black, Smithsonian, "Discovery of Raptor-Like Dinosaur Adds a New Wrinkle to the Origin of Birds," 11 July 2019 Firstly because the complex contrapuntal writing shows off Tippett’s extraordinary technical skill, but more for the glorious closing section, in which the two solo violins swoop and soar above the rest of the string orchestra. — Douglas Murray, National Review, "Michael Tippett’s ‘Timeless Music in Time’," 11 July 2019 The company said full-year revenue should grow by $3 billion above last year's total. — Chris Isidore, CNN, "Delta, fresh off its best day ever, raises its profit forecast," 11 July 2019 Engineers moved the spacecraft into position above the target site over the previous day and then placed it into autonomous mode. — Dennis Normile, Science | AAAS, "In a first, a Japanese spacecraft appears to have collected samples from inside an asteroid," 11 July 2019 The case has been made more complex by the revelation that a baseball-sized tumor was found on Jordan’s temporal lobe just above her eyes, according to a motion filed by Mobile attorney Shane Taylor. — Christopher Harress | Charress@al.com, al.com, "Dad jailed in starving death of 13-month-old girl seeks return to military job," 10 July 2019 Launched in 1990 and orbiting 150 miles above Earth, this massive telescope has captured the most iconic and intimate pictures of outer space. — Dean Regas, Cincinnati.com, "Top moments in space in the 50 years since Apollo 11 moon landing," 10 July 2019 Nobody was injured, but the first car to go off the tracks dragged branches and rocks across an overpass above Mellen Street and dumped them onto the pavement below, according to firefighters. — courant.com, "Freight train derails in Bristol, dumping tons of debris," 10 July 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

All the restaurants in the above gallery all received only one demerit for the month. — Julian Gill, Houston Chronicle, "New Houston restaurant MAD among cleanest places to eat in June, according to health inspections," 12 July 2019 Lately, John has been acting more like the kid in the relationship and with Lucy’s big ice skating competition coming up (yes, that’s Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan in the above photo!), this #1 Superfan needs help becoming a #1 Dad. — Gerrad Hall, EW.com, "A man paralyzed by gun violence, Jonathan's former teacher — meet the Queer Eye season 4 'heroes'," 10 July 2019 His legacy can, in a bunch of ways, be encapsulated in the above anecdote. — Albert Breer, SI.com, "The Jets Got Their Man. What Now for GM Joe Douglas and Gang Green?," 17 June 2019 Watch the above video to Landry work with the campers. — Dave Andersen, cleveland.com, "Browns’ Jarvis Landry teaches youths at his football ProCamp (video/photos)," 14 June 2019 Watch Mikayla have her life changed forever, courtesy of DJ Khaled, in the above video. — Dan Barna, Glamour, "Beyoncé and Jay-Z Just Surprised This Teenager With a $100,000 Scholarship," 21 Sep. 2018 Jordyn was someone that Khloé really trusted and believed in and supported and employed and all of the above. — Aurelie Corinthios, PEOPLE.com, "Khloé Kardashian Claims Tristan Thompson Threatened to Kill Himself After Jordyn Woods Scandal," 23 June 2019 All of the above — and a lot more that’s well-known now in stadium design and operation circles — is mandatory going forward as new facilities are planned. — Mark Faller, azcentral, "A to-do list for the Arizona Coyotes' new owner Alex Meruelo," 19 June 2019 All of the above is a tee up for a drive directly into the sand trap of guilt. — Ellie Krieger, Houston Chronicle, "Here are the diet terms that make dietitians cringe," 19 June 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