true level

American  

noun

1. an imaginary surface everywhere perpendicular to the plumb line, or line of gravity.

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true level British  

noun

1. a hypothetical surface that is perpendicular at every point to the plumb line, such as the mean sea level or geoid

   a still liquid surface is at true level

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Example Sentences

But MPs on the committee said they suspect the true level of fraud to be much higher.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

“The true level of demand was a good bit lower than what they were trying to sell,” Haig said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

Future research that tracks total chemical exposure across the body will be needed to determine the true level of risk.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2025

A lack of resources and conversations from doctors is, in part, driven by a lack of required training on managing menopause symptoms and true level of standardized care in obstetrics.

From Salon • May 19, 2024

The true level of poverty among North Carolina whites during the 1960s was extreme: nearly half of the manufacturing jobs in the state were in textiles, one of the lowest-paid segments of the industry.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson