level

American  

[lev-uhl] / ˈlɛv əl /

adjective

1. having no part higher than another; having a flat or even surface.

   Synonyms:

   flush

   Antonyms:

   uneven

2. being in a plane parallel to the plane of the horizon; horizontal.

   Synonyms:

   flush

   Antonyms:

   vertical

3. equal, as one thing with another or two or more things with one another.

4. even, equable, or uniform.

5. filled to a height even with the rim of a container.

   a level teaspoon of salt.

6. mentally well-balanced; sensible; rational.

   to keep a level head in a crisis.

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noun

• levels
  plural

1. a device used for determining or adjusting something to a horizontal surface.

2. Surveying.

   1. Also called surveyor's level. an instrument for observing levels, having a sighting device, usually telescopic, and capable of being made precisely horizontal.

   2. an observation made with this instrument.

   3. spirit level.

3. an imaginary line or surface everywhere at right angles to the plumb line.

4. the horizontal line or plane in which anything is situated, with regard to its elevation.

5. a horizontal position or condition.

6. an extent of land approximately horizontal and unbroken by irregularities.

7. a level or flat surface.

8. a position with respect to a given or specified height.

   The water rose to a level of 30 feet.

9. a position or plane in a graded scale of values; status; rank: They associated only with those on their own economic level.

   His acting was on the level of an amateur.

   They associated only with those on their own economic level.

10. an extent, measure, or degree of intensity, achievement, etc..

    a high level of sound; an average level of writing skill.

11. Linguistics. a major subdivision of linguistic structure, as phonology, morphology, or syntax, often viewed as hierarchically ordered.

12. Mining. the interconnected horizontal mine workings at a particular elevation or depth.

    There had been a cave-in on the 1,500-foot level.

13. (in a video game or role-playing game)

    1. a discrete section in game design or narrative that ends with a culminating event, as a boss battle.

    2. character level.

verb (used with object)

leveled, leveling, levelled, levelling

1. to make (a surface) level, even, or flat.

   to level ground before building.

   Synonyms:

   flatten, smooth

2. to raise or lower to a particular level or position; to make horizontal.

3. to bring (something) to the level of the ground; raze.

   They leveled the trees to make way for the new highway.

   Synonyms:

   destroy, demolish, raze

4. Informal. to knock down (a person).

   He leveled his opponent with one blow.

5. to make equal, as in status or condition.

   Synonyms:

   equalize

6. to make even or uniform, as coloring.

7. Historical Linguistics. (of the alternative forms of a paradigm) to reduce in number or regularize.

   Old English “him” (dative) and “hine” (accusative) have been leveled to Modern English “him.”

8. to aim or point (a weapon, criticism, etc.) at a mark or objective.

   He leveled his criticism at the college as a whole.

   Synonyms:

   direct

9. Surveying. to find the relative elevation of different points in (land), as with a level.

verb (used without object)

leveled, leveling, levelled, levelling

1. to bring things or persons to a common level.

2. to aim a weapon, criticism, etc., at a mark or objective.

3. Surveying.

   1. to take a level.

   2. to use a leveling instrument.

4. to speak truthfully and openly (often followed bywith ).

   You're not leveling with me about your trip to Chicago.

5. Obsolete. to direct the mind, purpose, etc., at something.

adverb

1. Obsolete. in a level, direct, or even way or line.

verb phrase

1. level off

   1. Aeronautics. to maintain a constant altitude after a climb or descent.

   2. to become stable; reach a constant or limit.

   3. to make even or smooth.

2. level up

   1. (in a video game or tabletop game) to obtain a higher character level or skill rank, or improve the quality or performance statistics of an object, as a weapon.

   2. to perform at a higher standard than expected, or show vast improvement: Your date is smokin’ hot—way to level up, bro!

      It’s possible for a small business to level up and land big clients.

      Your date is smokin’ hot—way to level up, bro!

idioms

1. on the level, honest; sincere; reliable.

   Is this information on the level?

2. one's level best, one's very best; one's utmost.

   We tried our level best to get here on time.

3. find one's (own) level, to attain the place or position merited by one's abilities or achievements.

   He finally found his level as one of the directors of the firm.

level British  

/ ˈlɛvəl /

adjective

1. on a horizontal plane

2. having a surface of completely equal height

3. being of the same height as something else

4. (of quantities to be measured, as in recipes) even with the top of the cup, spoon, etc

5. equal to or even with (something or someone else)

6. not having or showing inconsistency or irregularities

7. Also: level-headed. even-tempered; steady

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verb

1. to make (a surface) horizontal, level, or even

2. to make (two or more people or things) equal, as in position or status

3. (tr) to raze to the ground

4. (tr) to knock (a person) down by or as if by a blow

5. (tr) to direct (a gaze, criticism, etc) emphatically at someone

6. informal to be straightforward and frank

7. (intr; foll by off or out) to manoeuvre an aircraft into a horizontal flight path after a dive, climb, or glide

8. (often foll by at) to aim (a weapon) horizontally

9. surveying to determine the elevation of a section of (land), sighting through a levelling instrument to a staff at successive pairs or points

noun

1. a horizontal datum line or plane

2. a device, such as a spirit level, for determining whether a surface is horizontal

3. a surveying instrument consisting basically of a telescope with a spirit level attached, used for measuring relative heights of land See Abney level dumpy level

4. a reading of the difference in elevation of two points taken with such an instrument

5. position or status in a scale of values

6. amount or degree of progress; stage

7. a specified vertical position; altitude

8. a horizontal line or plane with respect to which measurement of elevation is based

   sea level

9. a flat even surface or area of land

10. a horizontal passage or drift in a mine

11. any of the successive layers of material that have been deposited with the passage of time to build up and raise the height of the land surface

12. physics the ratio of the magnitude of a physical quantity to an arbitrary magnitude

    sound-pressure level

13. to make every possible effort; try one's utmost

14. to find one's most suitable place socially, professionally, etc

15. on the same horizontal plane as another

16. informal sincere, honest, or genuine

level More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing level

• do one's (level) best
• on the level

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Synonym Usage

Level, even, flat, smooth suggest a uniform surface without marked unevenness. That which is level is parallel to the horizon: a level surface; A billiard table must be level. Flat is applied to any plane surface free from marked irregularities: a flat roof. With reference to land or country, flat connotes lowness or unattractiveness; level does not suggest anything derogatory. That which is even is free from irregularities, though not necessarily level or plane: an even land surface with no hills. Smooth suggests a high degree of evenness in any surface, especially to the touch and sometimes to the sight: as smooth as silk.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• levelness
  noun
• unlevelness
  noun
• relevel
  verb
• antileveling
  adjective
• antilevelling
  adjective
• interlevel
  adjective
• nonlevel
  adjective
• self-leveling
  adjective
• self-levelling
  adjective
• underlevel
  adjective
• unlevel
  adjective
• unleveled
  adjective
• unlevelled
  adjective
• well-leveled
  adjective
• well-levelled
  adjective
• levelly
  adverb
• unlevelly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• levels
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of level

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun, variant of livel, from Middle French, from unattested Vulgar Latin lībellum, for Latin lībella “plummet line, level,” diminutive of lībra “balance, scales”; the verb is derived from the noun

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Explanation

A level is a position in a scale. Attaining a high level of unemployment is depressing, but getting to a high level on a video game is exciting. The verb level also means to flatten or destroy. For example, a mighty wind will level a grove of trees or a wrecking ball can level a building. As a noun, level notes the position of something on a scale of intensity. You feel a rising level of temperature as the sun gets higher in the sky. As an adjective, level describes something that is even and flat. A level path is easy to walk on.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

level levels leveled leveling levelled levelling

That’s more than triple its 2001 level, and analysts expect the post-World War II record of 106% to fall in a few years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

“On one level, I’m sad. On another level, I’m angry.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Much of this is due to poor opposition defence, but her statistics show a decline over the past three seasons at international level.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

An equity selloff coincided with an already “weak and vulnerable” gold market that was hovering just above its major July support level of $3,975, said Samuelson.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

We helped Traveler through some of the quests and crafted a new set of armor for his next level milestone.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Declines have worsened recently, falling 5% versus year-ago levels in the four weeks ended Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

From 2008 to 2023, the state went from treating 7% more hospital-admitted patients per capita than nationwide levels to 18% fewer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Cloud results from Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet were strong, he said, and their spending levels were broadly in line with expectations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

I was young and could deal with it, so it never crossed my mind that I wasn't eating well or getting the exercise I needed to retain my own fitness levels.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Reluctantly, he acquiesced; the test showed that he suffered from elevated levels of serum creatinine with a value way above 1.4, the highest parameter in the normal range.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

It was unclear why the usage leveled off somewhat over time, Neprash said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

But last year, growth leveled off, and management said the company had “more work to do to reinvigorate this brand and get it back on its historical growth trajectory.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

The motion, Jackson noted, relied heavily on the observations of the officers against whom Flores had leveled claims — and who were under internal investigation by the LAPD.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Public prosecutors in America's second biggest city, unhappy about the result, leveled new charges: destruction of property by means of fire and arson affecting property used in interstate commerce.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Raizel leveled her chin and regarded me through narrowed eyes.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Left-armer Marco Jansen took a superb 5-33 and Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder two wickets each as the Proteas roared back into the Test to give them a real shot at leveling the series.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

With capacity growing, ports saturated and demand leveling off, that comes at a time when their growth prospects are subdued.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

In Germany, the Bundestag expanded from 598 seats to 736 seats in 2021 because the number of leveling seats needed to preserve proportionality continued to rise.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

The duo, known for fictional young adult content on YouTube, plans to keep leveling up their material while keeping it native to the internet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

He remembered the top, the sudden leveling of the hill, when the climb ceased and the other part of it began.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

This same criticism has been levelled against Formula 1 on several previous occasions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

They have been levelled at Premier League football clubs Arsenal and Aston Villa as a consequence of sponsorship deals with Rwanda.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

U.S. stocks rose and the broad S&P 500 hit a record high as artificial-intelligence bets regained upward momentum and oil futures levelled off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Wakefield weathered the storm and, with numbers levelled up, they worked an opening for Johnstone's power and pace to deliver the decisive try.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Now Mama, who had stood by accepting their shrugs for answers, levelled her gaze at each of them.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

He listed city and growth deals, and the former Conservative UK government's levelling up and shared prosperity fund projects, as examples.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

"We're also trying to maintain standards because uniform, as far as we're concerned, is quite levelling," Johnson-Walker added.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

The hosts were denied a shot at levelling the match when Bautista Delguy's 83rd-minute try was controversially chalked off.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Brussels insists the measure is not targeted at China, nor any other country for that matter, but is about levelling the playing field.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

He had a strong and militant affection for the reformed religion, and held a singularly lonely position between the levelling puritanical-democratic doctrines of the age and the High Church party.

From The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries To-Day and in Days of Old by Charles G. (Charles George) Harper

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