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

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

Adverb

• beneath
• under
• underneath

Preposition

• beneath
• neath [dialect]
• 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

Eating just one piece from the various boxes and bars below is a difficult proposition. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2025

Check out Robert Eggers’ conversation with Magnus von Horn below. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2025

Preposition

That's far below what many institutions have been getting to maintain buildings and equipment and pay support staff and other overhead expenses. —Rob Stein, NPR, 8 Feb. 2025

In parts of Montana, temperatures with wind chills could fall as low as 40 below zero for some areas, with residents urged to take precautions as frostbite can occur in as little as 10-20 minutes in these dangerously low temperatures. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 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 of publication time, the below #hyperpigmentation compilation has 14.7 million views. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2025

Try out the below lifestyle tips to help keep stress at bay:3 Try deep breathing, meditation, or stretching: To help reduce symptoms of stress, take time every day to relax, whether through a session of breathwork, meditation, or light stretching. —Laura Schober, Health, 23 Jan. 2025

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

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