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
Times Literary Supplement
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
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
: something that is below
: written or discussed lower on the same page or on a following page
the below list
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
Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2025
The median sale price — where half the sales are above, half below — was $359,900, up nearly 6%, compared with $339,900 for the first three months of 2024, according the SmartMLS.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025
Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
When the score is below 70, a follow-up inspection is required.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025
Claire Sullivan, WWD, 7 Aug. 2024
Get to know Jordan by reading this rapid-fire Q-and-A below.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 Feb. 2024
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
With a covered lounge with bar seating, two second deck plunge pools boasting a stunning view with a below deck suite and changing rooms to suit any occasion this sailing adventure is nothing short of luxurious.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for below
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
There are plenty more finds to shop below, starting at $9.
—Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2025
The median sale price — where half the sales are above, half below — was $359,900, up nearly 6%, compared with $339,900 for the first three months of 2024, according the SmartMLS.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025
Preposition
If oil price falls below this level, the dividend payout may be affected.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
When the score is below 70, a follow-up inspection is required.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
The below are shining examples of everything a lip gloss should be.
—Claire Sullivan, WWD, 7 Aug. 2024
Get to know Jordan by reading this rapid-fire Q-and-A below.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 Feb. 2024
Adjective
So any of the below snubs could change, and IndieWire understands the festival hasn’t screened all the possibilities just yet.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
With a covered lounge with bar seating, two second deck plunge pools boasting a stunning view with a below deck suite and changing rooms to suit any occasion this sailing adventure is nothing short of luxurious.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for below
Cite this Entry
“Below.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/below. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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.
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
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