below
Americanadverb
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in or toward a lower place.
Look out below!
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on, in, or toward a lower level, as a lower deck of a ship.
The captain of the ship went below.
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beneath the surface of the water.
Divers were sent below to view the wreck.
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on earth.
the fate of creatures here below.
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in hell or the infernal regions.
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at a later point on a page or in a text.
See the illustration below.
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in a lower rank or grade.
He was demoted to the class below.
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under zero on the temperature scale.
The temperature in Buffalo was ten below this morning.
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Theater. downstage.
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Zoology. on the lower or ventral side.
preposition
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lower down than.
below the knee.
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lower in rank, degree, amount, rate, etc., than.
below cost;
below freezing.
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too low or undignified to be worthy of; beneath.
He considered such an action below his notice.
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Theater. downstage of.
There are two chairs below the table.
preposition
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at or to a position lower than; under
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less than in quantity or degree
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south of
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downstream of
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unworthy of; beneath
adverb
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at or to a lower position or place
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at a later place (in something written)
see below
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archaic beneath heaven; on earth or in hell
Synonym Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of below
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English bilooghe; equivalent to be- + low 1
Explanation
Something that's below is underneath. If your kite is flying below your brother's, it means his kite is above, or higher than, yours. Anything that lies lower than some other object is below it — a basement is below the first floor of a house, and the ocean floor is below the water's surface. Below can also describe something that ranks lower: "My dad said if I get below a 90 on the math test, I can't go out this weekend." The word below was rarely used until the 16th century — most experts credit Shakespeare with making it a popular alternative to "beneath."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, the mobile carrier’s quarterly profit declined due to costs related to forming a new joint venture, while revenue ticked down 0.7% year over year to $34.25 billion, slightly below analyst estimates of $35.16 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
If it's safe to do so, get in touch by using this link or the form below.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Both main contracts fell more than one percent Friday with Brent hovering just below $100.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
“WTI’s November contract is below $85, January 2027 below $80, and May 2027 below $75.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
They reached an elevation that looked down upon the Very, Very Far North, with a few clouds actually hanging below them and the Shipwreck nothing but a speck seen far off in the distance.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.