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)
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
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
Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 3 Nov. 2025
Show your support for your favorite band in our poll below.
—Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 3 Nov. 2025
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Despite Guterres’s words, COP30 will proceed on the understanding that temperature rise can remain below this limit.
—Sophie Yeo, The Dial, 4 Nov. 2025
Andrew McGowan, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Feel free to use the below for any and all auditions.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The Panthers looked like a below-average team with a below-average quarterback who couldn’t run on Sunday.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 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.
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Adverb
Read the exclusive Golden Years excerpt below.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 3 Nov. 2025
Show your support for your favorite band in our poll below.
—Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 3 Nov. 2025
Preposition
The usual suspects such as Leslie Bibb and Naomi Watts posed with their signature blond hair chopped just below their ears, while bob first-timer Naomi Campbell put a high-low spin on the style and cut micro bangs, too.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Despite Guterres’s words, COP30 will proceed on the understanding that temperature rise can remain below this limit.
—Sophie Yeo, The Dial, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Watch an exclusive clip from the special below.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Feel free to use the below for any and all auditions.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Pro Football Focus ranks Clark as a below-average interior defender in 2025 -- 68th out of 128 players who have seen enough snaps to qualify at the position.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The Panthers looked like a below-average team with a below-average quarterback who couldn’t run on Sunday.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 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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