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
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
Scroll below for more top headlines making news today.
—Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Recreate her look with these beige tall boots that skim just below the knee.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Above zero would be better, and that’s slightly-below tidy for a veteran who usually plays while many of his best teammates rest.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
The below-average snowpack and lack of rain fueled extreme drought across western Colorado this year, allowing fires that sparked to spread rapidly, Stevens-Rumann said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for below
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
The Athletic’s David Ornstein expects that deal to be completed, but he has been excluded from the list below.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
Scroll below for more top headlines making news today.
—Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Preposition
According to recent studies, they are poorly absorbed and frequently dosed below therapeutic levels.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Recreate her look with these beige tall boots that skim just below the knee.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
Both the below and the final scorecard on the next page will be updated as sales come in.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Above zero would be better, and that’s slightly-below tidy for a veteran who usually plays while many of his best teammates rest.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
In the below interview, Halsall expands on her transition between Seasons 1 and 2 and tracing the arcs for both Cole and Alex Walter from Season 2’s opening scene to later episodes.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
The below-average snowpack and lack of rain fueled extreme drought across western Colorado this year, allowing fires that sparked to spread rapidly, Stevens-Rumann said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 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 7 Sep. 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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