below

[ bih-loh ]

/ bɪˈloʊ /

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See synonyms for below on Thesaurus.com

adverb

in or toward a lower place: Look out below!

on, in, or toward a lower level, as a lower deck of a ship: The captain of the ship went below.

beneath the surface of the water: Divers were sent below to view the wreck.

on earth: the fate of creatures here below.

in hell or the infernal regions.

at a later point on a page or in a text: See the illustration below.Compare above (def. 5).

in a lower rank or grade: He was demoted to the class below.

under zero on the temperature scale: The temperature in Buffalo was ten below this morning.

Theater. downstage.Compare above (def. 8).

Zoology. on the lower or ventral side.

preposition

lower down than: below the knee.

lower in rank, degree, amount, rate, etc., than: below cost; below freezing.

too low or undignified to be worthy of; beneath: He considered such an action below his notice.

Theater. downstage of: There are two chairs below the table.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of below

1275–1325; Middle English bilooghe, equivalent to bi- by (see be-) + looghelow¹

synonym study for below

11. 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.

Words nearby below

Belorussian, Belostok, belote, beloved, Belovo, below, belowdecks, belowground, below par, below stairs, below the belt, hit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use below in a sentence

However, the Air Force is so strapped for people that the ratio has dropped below even that reduced level.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says|Dave Majumdar|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Not quite, but at one point the temperature registered 29 below zero, with 21 inches of snow.
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits From the History of ‘Purple Rain’|Jennie Yabroff|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When I saw the fire in the restaurant, I ran down to the floor below, where I was trapped between flames above and below.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Although major presses covered below news since last night, not many people is interested in their threat,” wrote Hwang.
Exclusive: Sony Emails Say Studio Exec Picked Kim Jong-Un as the Villain of ‘The Interview’|William Boot|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

An IQ below 70 generally indicates someone with intellectual disability (ID).
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before the spinet a bench was placed about four feet below the keys, and I was put upon the bench.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
I have drawn a Line between the figures at the extream changes, that next below the Line is the extream.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
The left heel followed like lightning, and the right paw also slipped, letting the bear again fall heavily on the ice below.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
While the door was open he caught a glimpse of the street outside—and of Glavis on the sidewalk below.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
After looking for them in vain down below he had feared that they might have found their way into the open air.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for below

below

/ (bɪˈləʊ) /

preposition

at or to a position lower than; under

less than in quantity or degree

south of

downstream of

unworthy of; beneath

adverb

at or to a lower position or place

at a later place (in something written)see below

archaic beneath heaven; on earth or in hell

Word Origin for below

C14: bilooghe, from bi by + looghe low 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

below

Origin of below

synonym study for below

Words nearby below

Words related to below

How to use below in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for below

Word Origin for below