below

1 of 4

adverb

be·​low bi-ˈlō 

1

: in or to a lower place

gazed at the water below

voices from the apartment below

2

a

: on earth

… improvements in conditions here below …

—Times Literary Supplement (London)

b

: in or to Hades or hell

3

: on or to a lower floor or deck

ordered the crew below

4

a

: in, to, at, or by a lower rank or number

suitable for children age 10 and below

b

: below zero

the temperature was 20 below

5

: lower on the same page or on a following page

See the graph below.

6

: under the surface of the water

thirty fathoms below

below

2 of 4

preposition

1

a

: lower in place, rank, or value than : under

Our apartment is below theirs.

Her skirt reached below her knees.

The sun dipped below the horizon.

b

: down river from

moored a mile below town

c

: south of

located 20 miles below the nation's capital

2

: inferior to (as in rank)

A lieutenant is below a captain.

3

: not suitable to the rank of : beneath

considers such work below him

below

3 of 4

noun

: something that is below

below

4 of 4

adjective

: written or discussed lower on the same page or on a following page

the below list

Synonyms of below

Adverb

• underneath
• beneath

Preposition

• beneath
• under

Examples of below in a Sentence

Adverb

The pencil rolled off the desk and fell to the floor below.

The pilot looked down at the sea far below.

We heard the elevator stop at the floor below.

They secured the goods on deck and went below.

All personnel, captain and below, were ordered to report for duty.

Preposition

Our apartment is below theirs.

We could see only clouds below us.

The diver descended below 25 meters.

The sun disappeared below the horizon.

a spot directly below us

the valley far below us

Temperatures were below average all week.

She worked for wage rates below those of other workers.

He ranks far below his superior.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

So without further delay, find dozens of excellent vacation rentals to take over this summer below. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026

Watch Jung Kook’s commercial and see photos from the Calvin Klein campaign shoot below. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 24 Feb. 2026

Preposition

Flags for Canada and third-place Finland rested below Old Glory on either side. —Chris Kudialis, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026

If muscle temperature drops below that range, endurance and force may be reduced. —Alyssa Ages, Outside, 22 Feb. 2026

Noun

Hair care essentials this attractive are sure to fly off online shelves in a flash, so mark your calendar for the top of next month and fill your cart with other no-brainer buys from the three brands behind the collab in the meantime (more on this below). —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 2026

And in a recent assessment of the chances for a Supreme Court vacancy, Washington consultant Bruce Mehlman noted that all of the justices are well-below the average age of 79 for those who’ve stepped down in recent years. —Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026

Adjective

Jansen got love, too, including in the below category. —Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

More on that, and more, in the below observations from Saturday’s 3-2 win. —Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 21 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English bilooghe, from bi by + looghe low, adjective

Preposition

derivative of below entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of below entry 1

Adjective

adjective derivative of below entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

circa 1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1870, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing below

• below par
• below standard
• below the belt
• from below

Rhymes for below

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

below

1 of 2 adverb

be·​low bi-ˈlō 

1

: in or to a lower place

2

: on a lower floor or deck

3

: below zero

the temperature was 20 below

below

2 of 2 preposition

: lower than

the diver descends below 25 meters

below average

selling below cost

Legal Definition

below

1 of 2 adverb

be·​low

1

: in a lower court

the presumption that the decisions below…are correct

—W. J. Brennan, Jr.

2

: lower on the same page or on a following page

the paragraph below

below

2 of 2 preposition

: lower in place, rank, or value than