aboveground

adjective

above·​ground ə-ˈbəv-ˌgrau̇nd How to pronounce aboveground (audio)
1
: located or occurring on or above the surface of the ground
2
: existing, produced, or published by or within the establishment
aboveground movies
aboveground adverb

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web On a block lined with six-story apartment buildings in northern Manhattan, the street could get a dozen large aboveground containers — artist renderings suggest a cross between a dumpster and a giant laundry bin — placed in parking spaces. Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 3 May 2023 Those layers, in turn, will sit deep inside the Sardinian cave, protecting the delicate apparatus from every possible influence of the aboveground world. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2023 The decision to move parking underground frees up aboveground space that will be used to create a park area and plazas, while directing some pickup and drop-off traffic below ground, reducing congestion off Columbus Circle. Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 After 20 or more years, their seniority had rewarded them with aboveground jobs, delivering parts and equipment around the complex. Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2023 In 2016, University of Tübingen archaeologist Ramadan Hussein, who died in the spring of 2022, identified shallow aboveground pits where the dead would have been covered in natron, a salt mixture used to dry out the body after death. Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Feb. 2023 Scores of aboveground tests soon followed, with some even rocketed into the stratosphere. Damian Carrington, WIRED, 14 Jan. 2023 The project includes an aboveground parking garage with nearly 1,000 spaces and 362 parking spaces beneath the buildings. Catherine Carlock, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Dec. 2022 Building on permafrost requires gravel pads that protect the ice from melting, and aboveground pipes. Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aboveground.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aboveground was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near aboveground

Cite this Entry

“Aboveground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aboveground. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

aboveground

adjective
above·​ground ə-ˈbəv-ˌgrau̇nd How to pronounce aboveground (audio)
: located or happening on or above the surface of the ground
an aboveground swimming pool

More from Merriam-Webster on aboveground

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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