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

He shows me the video he took from his apartment as floating cars were hurled against the walls below him.

From BBC

The number of people living below the poverty line in Sri Lanka has risen to 25.9% in the past four years.

From BBC

We’re starting small but thinking big, and we want to know what you think - you can send us your feedback by clicking on the button below.

From BBC

They were pointing at a balcony on the second floor, which was completely destroyed and had crumbled on to the collapsed floor below.

From BBC

South Korea’s fertility rate — the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime — currently sits at 0.72, the lowest in the world and far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• down