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

Exposure to both short-term high concentration and long-term low-level concentrations can be dangerous or fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Several factors appear to drive this decline, including accumulated cellular damage, changes in gene activity, chronic low-level inflammation, and shifts in the bone marrow environment.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

A low-level job at a local radio station led to an on-air position at its TV affiliate, where Kavanagh’s big break came in 1978 when a massive blizzard hammered the Northeast.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Passengers should continue to use Glasgow Central's Hope Street and low-level entrances while the main doors are blocked off.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 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