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

They fear that the two nations are at risk of settling into a protracted low-level conflict that is destructive enough to disrupt regional economies indefinitely.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

My grandmother was a single mother and a low-level government employee, but she was extremely responsible.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

But he says the continuing low-level tension is "a dangerous scenario".

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

The analyst is betting on Quantum Computing’s Qatalyst software, which enables programmers to solve computational problems without knowing low-level quantum coding.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

These experiences are not part of a sustainable lifestyle, even a lifestyle of chronic deprivation and relentless low-level punishment.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich