low-level
|low-lev-el|
🇺🇸
/ˈloʊ ˌlɛvəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈləʊ ˌlɛvəl/
basic or simple
Etymology
'low-level' originates from the combination of 'low' and 'level', where 'low' meant 'not high' and 'level' referred to 'a specific height or rank'.
'Low' and 'level' have been used in English since the Middle Ages, and their combination into 'low-level' as an adjective became more common in the 20th century.
Initially, it meant 'not high in position or rank', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
of or relating to a position or rank that is not high; basic or simple.
He was assigned to a low-level position in the company.
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Adjective 2
in computing, relating to operations or programming that is close to the hardware.
Low-level programming languages are closer to machine code.
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Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45