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
Lauren David, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026
Learn how to make hummingbird food by following the simple hummingbird food recipe below.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 May 2026
The cybersecurity stock plunged 16% after guiding for revenue in its current quarter of between $289 million to $291 million, below the $292 million analysts polled by LSEG had penciled in.
—Davis Giangiulio,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The city is in its ninth month of below-average rainfall.
—Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 May 2026
In the below interview, Kelley and Anderson further break down the season one finale with Paul McCrane’s judge expediting the court proceedings, the fate of certain romantic relationships and areas to explore in season two.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 20 May 2026
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
As the train climbs higher, sweeping mountain and valley views unfold on both sides, and in the colder months, skiers and snowboarders can be seen gliding down the slopes below.
—Lauren David, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026
Learn how to make hummingbird food by following the simple hummingbird food recipe below.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
Preposition
For North American observers on the evening of May 30, the Blue Moon rises in the east as the sun dips below the horizon, with Antares glowing roughly 3 degrees to the lower left of Earth's satellite — less than the width of your three middle fingers held at arm's length against the night sky.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 May 2026
The cybersecurity stock plunged 16% after guiding for revenue in its current quarter of between $289 million to $291 million, below the $292 million analysts polled by LSEG had penciled in.
—Davis Giangiulio,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Noun
Colorado State forecasters predict a below-average Atlantic hurricane season, with six hurricanes total and only two of those expected to become major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The city is in its ninth month of below-average rainfall.
—Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
Adjective
The below list includes highlights of IndieWire Critic’s Pick reviews as well as other under-the-radar movies across sections beyond the main competition.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 May 2026
In the below interview, Kelley and Anderson further break down the season one finale with Paul McCrane’s judge expediting the court proceedings, the fate of certain romantic relationships and areas to explore in season two.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for below
Cite this Entry
“Below.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/below. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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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