below
below Lexical Profile
below Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
At or to a lower level, layer, or position than the current or reference point.
"From the top of the observation deck, we watched the tiny cars moving along the streets below."
In a later part of a printed text, document, or page.
"Please provide your contact details in the space indicated below."
Less than zero on a temperature scale.
"During the midwinter blizzard, the overnight temperature dropped to twenty degrees below."
• preposition
At a lower level, altitude, or layer than.
"The hikers set up their base camp just below the mountain ridge."
Lower than a specified amount, rate, degree, or standard on a scale.
"Test scores in the district fell slightly below the national average last year."
Subordinate or inferior to in rank, status, or authority.
"In the corporate hierarchy, a regional director ranks immediately below a vice president."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'below' and 'under' both indicate a lower position, 'below' is preferred when referring to general relative levels, measurements on a scale, or items not directly beneath one another vertically, whereas 'under' typically implies direct vertical coverage, contact, or concealment.
• Rhymes for below
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English bilowe, formed from the prefix be- ('by' or 'about') and lowe ('low'), which itself was borrowed from Old Norse lágr ('low').