above
adverb · adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Higher in rank, power.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhbuhvSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əˈbʌv
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
Higher in rank, power, or position.
In a higher place; upstairs; farther upstream.
Higher in the same page; earlier in the order as far as writing products go.
Directly overhead; vertically on top of.
Into or from heaven; in the sky.
in writing
At an earlier place
adjective
Of heaven; heavenly.
noun
Higher authority.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Higher in rank, power, or position.
When 'above' refers to rank or position, it implies a clear hierarchy. It's often used in formal or organizational contexts. Think of someone being 'above' a certain pay grade or level of management.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Workplace memo
“Please report any issues to the manager above your direct supervisor.”
Legal documents
“Only officers above lieutenant can authorize this action.”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Above and beyond all other consideration.
Outstandingly superior to.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “above” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.