below

[ bih-loh ]

adverb

1. in or toward a lower place:

   Look out below!

2. on, in, or toward a lower level, as a lower deck of a ship:

   The captain of the ship went below.

3. beneath the surface of the water:

   Divers were sent below to view the wreck.

4. on earth:

   the fate of creatures here below.

5. in hell or the infernal regions.
6. at a later point on a page or in a text: Compare above ( def 5 ).

   See the illustration below.

7. in a lower rank or grade:

   He was demoted to the class below.

8. under zero on the temperature scale:

   The temperature in Buffalo was ten below this morning.

9. Theater. downstage. Compare above ( def 8 ).
10. Zoology. on the lower or ventral side.

preposition

1. lower down than:

   below the knee.

2. lower in rank, degree, amount, rate, etc., than:

   below cost;

   below freezing.

3. too low or undignified to be worthy of; beneath:

   He considered such an action below his notice.

4. Theater. downstage of:

   There are two chairs below the table.

below

/ bɪˈləʊ /

preposition

1. at or to a position lower than; under
2. less than in quantity or degree
3. south of
4. downstream of
5. unworthy of; beneath

adverb

1. at or to a lower position or place
2. at a later place (in something written)

   see below

3. archaic.
   beneath heaven; on earth or in hell

Word History and Origins

Origin of below¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English bilooghe; equivalent to be- + low ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of below¹

C14: bilooghe , from bi by + looghe low ¹

Synonym Study

Below, under, beneath indicate position in some way lower than something else. Below implies being in a lower plane: below the horizon, the water line. Under implies being lower in a perpendicular line: The book is under the chair. Beneath may have a meaning similar to below, but more usually denotes being under so as to be covered, overhung, or overtopped: the pool beneath the falls.

Example Sentences

In recent years, the average salary has grown at a rate well below Russia’s inflation rate, which rose to an estimated 40% this year, in part because of the war in Ukraine.

From Science Magazine

For a clearer example of this difference - of how Tielemans’ style stretches Villa more, making them vulnerable to disjointed passing or end-to-end games – take a look at a typical pass map for both players below:

From BBC

Normal optical microscopes are limited by the wavelength of light and details below around 500 nanometres cannot be resolved.

From Science Daily

"Groundwater is challenging to manage because it is hidden below ground and poorly understood," said William Jaeger, a professor of applied economics at Oregon State.

From Science Daily

See all their picks for Round 1 below.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• down