below

1 of 4

adverb

be·​low bi-ˈlō How to pronounce below (audio)
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 belowTimes 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

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

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
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
Believe it or not, the ball was still ‘in play’ in the picture below. Stuart James, New York Times, 3 May 2025 Review the sources used below for this article: Emilie Lucchesi has written for some of the country's largest newspapers, including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. Discover Magazine, 3 May 2025
Preposition
That is well below the roughly 44% who said the same about Trump, who is trying to calm recession anxieties after igniting a global trade war with U.S. allies and adversaries. Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 May 2025 The Madrid title is her second WTA 1,000 trophy — the level just below a Grand Slam — this year. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 May 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
As the below graphic shows, Moyes has largely looked to build attacks using a back three, with Mykolenko high on the left and Alcaraz or Ndiaye shifting inside. Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025 Warning: The below video may contain distressing images. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for below

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of below was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Below.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/below. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

below

1 of 2 adverb
be·​low bi-ˈlō How to pronounce below (audio)
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 correctW. 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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