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.

   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.

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

Analysts conceded that Intel appeared to take “a rather conservative stance” in guiding for a below seasonal second half of 2025.

Read more on Barron's

Many economists forecast that the U.S. economy would shrink in the third quarter and that results for the fourth quarter would be below trend.

Read more on Barron's

Most of the big banks also haven’t been expanding their net interest margins much, as noted below.

Read more on MarketWatch

Even after the rally, valuations remain grounded—the group is trading slightly below its historic average for the ratio of enterprise value to sales.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The reemergence of the ocean phenomenon — after last year’s rainfall was below average — could mean another drier-than-average winter, further worsening fire conditions in the region.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• down