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

Keep scrolling to shop more sequin dresses and faux-fur coats inspired by Reese Witherspoon below. —Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025

Belkin Apple AirTag Keychain Holder Keep scrolling to set yourself up for easier travel this winter with even more early holiday Amazon deals on travel tech accessories, below. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025

Preposition

Stay below 10% alcohol, and your paperwhite bulbs will still produce beautiful blooms when their water is spiked, just without the tall, drooping stems. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Dec. 2025

Currently, veterans only qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits if their household income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty line. —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

Noun

Pick up a few of the below and get your yearn on this winter. —Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025

The passing game did not present enough yards-after-catch opportunities (More on this below), in part because of the route concepts. —Zach Berman, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025

Adjective

Star addressed all sorts of plot points from Mindy’s cliffhanger ending to the fate of Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) and Agence Grateau in the below interview. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025

Instructions How to Clean Snow Boots Follow the below steps for the basic method to clean your snow boots, regardless of material. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025

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