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

In the video above, hear from Cristobal on which freshmen have stood out early as the Ducks opened fall camp. — oregonlive.com, "Watch: Which freshmen look ready to make an impact for the Oregon Ducks in 2019?," 5 Aug. 2019 Shortly before dawn, the 40-year-old was jolted awake by a loud crack from the floors above, then another. — Shashank Bengalistaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Chinese money transformed a sleepy beach town in Cambodia. Then came disaster," 4 Aug. 2019 The organization shared the results with Ars, which are shown above. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "So, how much did the Planetary Society’s light sail really sail?," 2 Aug. 2019 In the video above, watch Garrett run through drills and show off his athleticism on Day 7 of Browns training camp. — Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com, "Watch Myles Garrett practice on Day 7 of Browns training camp," 1 Aug. 2019 Results shown above are as of noon Friday, July 26, 2019. — Detroit Free Press, "Health care, jobs, immigration and the Great Lakes top your 2020 election agenda," 29 July 2019 Take a tour of Lakeside Chautauqua in the photo gallery above, and learn more about the Chautauqua Trail. — Wendy Pramik, USA TODAY, "Historic chautauquas are gaining steam. Take a tour of Lakeside Chautauqua in Ohio," 25 July 2019 And, erm, the marketing photo (see our slideshow above) does not quite match up with reality. — Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle, "What you need to know about Burger King's new crispy tacos," 22 July 2019 Auto plants reduce production when temperatures rise above 90 degrees, the paper noted. — Irina Ivanova, CBS News, "Summer's record-high temperatures threaten to scorch the economy," 19 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

Listen to the rest of Dr. Johnson’s inspiring episode above! — Kynala Phillips, Essence, "What Means More To You: Having A Title Or Making an Impact?," 8 Aug. 2019 The photo in question showcases a breathtaking Em Rata wearing a lacy black bralette, smoky eye makeup, and dangly earrings, with her arms above her head and her underarm fuzz on full display. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "Emily Ratajkowsi Shows Off Her Underarm Hair in New Magazine Shoot," 8 Aug. 2019 But driving above the speed limit isn’t just alarming; such risky behavior endangers everyone else on the road. — Rebecca Renner, USA TODAY, "These 5 annoying driver behaviors are more dangerous than you think," 8 Aug. 2019 Check out a teaser above for the Us attraction, which will elicit shrieks alongside the parks’ first-ever Ghostbusters maze and another turn for Stranger Things. — Mary Sollosi, EW.com, "Universal's Halloween Horror Nights to feature maze inspired by Jordan Peele's Us," 7 Aug. 2019 Armed officers with body armor patrolled the area as a helicopter flew above the building. — Josiah Bates, Time, "USA Today Offices Evacuated After a Mistaken Threat Report," 7 Aug. 2019 The park is named after the Hurd family, which came to the Middle Haddam region from Massachusetts in 1710 and settled on the high land high above the Connecticut River. — courant.com, "Community News For The Colchester Edition," 7 Aug. 2019 Cissell backed up and was unhurt, Laird, a 4-year veteran who arrived in the car behind him, was fatally when a round hit above his protective vest. — Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, "Remembering Jake Laird, the officer whose death inspired Indiana's 'red flag' law," 7 Aug. 2019 Its introduction was gorgeous, with a clarinet solo from Hudgins twisting and floating above quiet timpani thunder. — Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston Symphony Orchestra keeps it nostalgic with Avner Dorman premiere at Tanglewood," 5 Aug. 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

The second strategy is a legal one that would open all of the above intermediaries to potential lawsuits by modifying CDA 230. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "When Limiting Online Speech to Curb Violence, We Should Be Careful," 9 Aug. 2019 The as-yet unannounced device, seen to the right of the above photo, has a quad-camera array including a wide-angle lens and a primary 64-megapixel module that almost certainly uses Samsung’s new 1/1.7-inch ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor. — Sam Byford, The Verge, "Here are the first photos shot with a 64-megapixel phone camera," 8 Aug. 2019 Last year saw an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, with Hurricanes Florence and Michael slamming US coastlines with devastating effect. — Jordan Evans, CNN, "Expect a busier-than-normal hurricane season, NOAA says," 8 Aug. 2019 In next week’s episode, former star Patrick J. Adams, who left at the end of season 7, returns as legal wunderkind Mike Ross, and the above sneak peek shows Mike reuniting with his mentor and best friend, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht). — Chancellor Agard, EW.com, "Patrick J. Adams returns as Mike and reunites with Harvey in Suits sneak peek," 8 Aug. 2019 During the winter, the region received an above-average amount of snowfall, Huss pointed out. — Chelsea Harvey, Science | AAAS, "Europe's record heat melted Swiss glaciers," 5 Aug. 2019 For example, the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator finds that in the Detroit metro area, a single parent with two kids needs $70,000 to pay for the above list of basic needs. — Jared Bernstein, Vox, "We can’t fund the progressive agenda by taxing the 1% alone," 2 Aug. 2019 Failure to ask the above is when horror stories surface, says Marin. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "Will Eyelash Extensions Ruin Your Natural Lashes? We Investigate," 31 July 2019 The warm ocean can keep the air adjacent to it at an above-average temperature, especially at night, in places like Boston and Portland. — Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, "July will be the warmest month ever recorded in Boston," 31 July 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