above

preposition
UK: /əˈbʌv/
US: /əˈbʌv/

  1. In or to a higher position than something else.

    1. The birds flew above the trees, soaring gracefully. [ ] [ ]
    2. The pilot struggled to keep the aircraft above the dense fog that covered the city. [ ] [ ]

  2. Higher in rank or importance.

    1. My manager is above me in the company structure. [ ] [ ]
    2. The general is above the colonel in the military hierarchy above all. [ ] [ ]

  3. More than an amount or level.

    1. The temperature was above freezing yesterday. [ ] [ ]
    2. The cost of the project was above our initial budget expectations after all. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

upon over beyond
above adverb

  1. In or to a higher place.

    1. The sun rose above the horizon now. [ ] [ ]
    2. The helicopter hovered above, monitoring the traffic down below. [ ] [ ]

  2. Earlier in a text or document.

    1. See the information given above in this chapter. [ ] [ ]
    2. As stated above, the results clearly indicate a positive correlation between two measures. [ ] [ ]
above adjective

  1. Of higher rank or position.

    1. She wants to associate with people above her. [ ] [ ]
    2. He believes himself above such petty concerns about money after all. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "above" in English means: In or to a higher position than something else., Higher in rank or importance., More than an amount or level..

The phonetic transcription of "above" is /əˈbʌv/ in British English and /əˈbʌv/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "above": upon, over, beyond.

Example usage of "above": "The birds flew above the trees, soaring gracefully.". More examples on the page.