ABOVE Definition & Meaning

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above

[ uh-buhv ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

in, at, or to a higher place.
overhead, upstairs, or in the sky:
My brother lives in the apartment above. A flock of birds circled above.
higher in rank, authority, or power:
She was told to speak to the person above.
higher in quantity or number:
books with 100 pages and above.
before or earlier, especially in a book or other piece of writing; foregoing: Compare below ( def 6 ).
the remark quoted above.
in or to heaven:
gone to her eternal rest above.
Zoology. on the upper or dorsal side.
Theater. upstage. Compare below ( def 9 ).
higher than zero on the temperature scale:
The temperature dropped to ten above this morning.

preposition

in or to a higher place than; over:
to fly above the clouds;
the floor above ours.
more in quantity or number than; in excess of:
The program is open to all girls above six years of age.
The weight is above a ton.
superior in rank, authority, or standing to:
A captain is above a lieutenant.
beyond the reach of or exempted from (dishonorable thoughts or deeds), especially in the eyes of others:
So scrupulously had she maintained her reputation that she was above suspicion.
As professional adults, we ought to be above bad behavior.
too honorable a character; too good for:
He refused to participate, being above such trickery.
rather than; in preference to:
to favor one child above the other.
beyond, especially north of:
six miles above Baltimore.
Theater. upstage of.

adjective

said, mentioned, or written above; foregoing:
the above explanation.

noun

something that was said, mentioned, or written above:
to refer to the above.
the person or persons previously indicated:
The above will all stand trial.
heaven:
truly a gift from above.
a higher authority:
an order from above.

above

/ əˈ��ʌ�� /

preposition

on top of or higher than; over
the sky above the earth
greater than in quantity or degree
above average in weight
superior to or prior to
to place honour above wealth
too honourable or high-minded for
above petty gossiping
too respected for; beyond
above suspicion
above reproach
too difficult to be understood by
the talk was above me
louder or higher than (other noise)
I heard her call above the radio
in preference to
I love you above all others
north of
which town lies just above London?
upstream from
above all
most of all; especially
above and beyond
in addition to
above oneself
presumptuous or conceited

adverb

in or to a higher place
the sky above
1. in a previous place (in something written)
2. ( in combination )
  the above-mentioned clause
higher in rank or position
in or concerned with heaven
seek the things that are above

noun

the above
something that is above or previously mentioned

adjective

mentioned or appearing in a previous place (in something written)

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Usage Note

Above as an adjective ( the above data ) or as a noun ( study the above ) referring to what has been mentioned earlier in a piece of writing has long been standard. A few critics object to these uses in general writing, believing that they are more appropriate in business or technical contexts; they occur, however, in all kinds of edited writing.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of above¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English above(n), abufe(n), Old English abufan, onbufan, equivalent to b(e) by + ufan, cognate with Old Frisian uva, Old Saxon oban(a), Old High German obana, German oben, Old Norse ofan; “above”; akin to over ); up

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of above¹

Old English abufan, from a- on + bufan above

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Idioms and Phrases

above all. above all.

More idioms and phrases containing above

all (none) of the above
cut above
head and shoulders above
over and above

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Example Sentences

It was the summer of 1965 when a captain and student pilot forgot they had placed unwrapped teacakes above their instrument panels.

From

Will the gelding be above or below par?

From

President Trump is arguably an illustration of this and a collective reaction from America to some of the changes I've mentioned above.

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Laughter and casual conversation swam above the sound of the clicks of their laptops.

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Into next week, high pressure will shift on top of the UK again, bringing lighter winds and more dry, sunny weather that will see temperatures warm up above the seasonal norm again.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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