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
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 7 May 2026
Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Hugh Leask, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Then, after Vegas ganged up on Drew Helleson along the boards, former Duck William Karlsson fed Marner below the goal line.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
Oklahoma City is a great possession-battle team, while the Lakers are a below-average one.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 6 May 2026
And in 2023, Wilson deliberately took a below-market extension to give the front office flexibility.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 5 May 2026
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
Listen to that below, ahead of the record’s release on June 26.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 7 May 2026
Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Preposition
Over time, the effect can lower alcohol strength below 40%, thereby stripping it of the legal right to be called Scotch whisky.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Then, after Vegas ganged up on Drew Helleson along the boards, former Duck William Karlsson fed Marner below the goal line.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
Noun
The city is in its ninth month of below-average rainfall.
—Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
Oklahoma City is a great possession-battle team, while the Lakers are a below-average one.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Adjective
Later reporting showed that the project was not merely a ballroom above ground but also a below-grade security complex, including a bunker beneath the site.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 6 May 2026
And in 2023, Wilson deliberately took a below-market extension to give the front office flexibility.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 5 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 13 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
