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

The setlist for his Los Angeles show earlier this year is below, according to Apple Music. —Aaron A. Bedoya, USA Today, 19 June 2026

Shop more white T-shirts inspired by Garner's easy summer look below. —Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026

Preposition

Through the middle of the week of June 23, near to below-normal temperatures are forecast for much of the eastern two-thirds of the country, as a summer cold front moves through. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 20 June 2026

Unlike the movies, where directors get the glory, TV directors sit lower in the hierarchy, below creators, producers and actors. —Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026

Noun

Make up for the missing wine quantity with water or stock, or go rogue and blend a couple wines—more on this below. —Emma Laperruque, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026

AccuWeather has also forecast a below-average season. —Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2026

Adjective

And whereas the Jets’ picks have turned into an average number of NHL players relative to their draft position, Carolina has yielded a below-average number of NHL players relative to its draft position by the same analysis. —Murat Ates, New York Times, 17 June 2026

So borrowers who have been looking to secure a below-average mortgage rate may want to pay closer attention this week. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 15 June 2026

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