low-level

American  

[loh-lev-uhl] / ˈloʊˈlɛv əl /

adjective

1. undertaken by or composed of members having a low status.

   a low-level discussion.

2. having low status.

   low-level personnel.

3. undertaken at or from a low altitude.

   low-level bombing.

4. Linguistics. occurring or operating at the phonetic level of linguistic representation or analysis.

   low-level rules governing assimilation.

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Etymology

Origin of low-level

First recorded in 1880–85

Explanation

Someone who's described as being low-level has very little authority in their job or position. A low-level employee at the F.B.I. might be the person who answers the phone, or who cleans people's offices at the end of the day. A low-level police officer's job might involve giving speeding tickets, rather than investigating murders, and a low-level librarian might be stuck shelving books, instead of ordering new ones or archiving historical manuscripts. Another meaning of low-level is physically low, or at a low altitude: "I feel like I could almost touch that low-level cloud."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

low-level

Many women are running on autopilot, she adds, so they often don't realise the extent of the cognitive load they're carrying, and this constant low-level stress can have an effect on the nervous system.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

The pesticide was tagged with a low-level radioactive marker so researchers could track where it moved.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

The suspect, a "low-level agent," was also under investigation in Romania, Dobrindt added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Dismissal of the charges follows 51-year-old Vem Miller’s completion of a county program that allows first-time, low-level offenders to have their criminal charges dropped and arrest records sealed after completing a set of requirements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

After dropping me in a low-level quest area on Greyhawk, the jerk had followed me.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline