lev·el (l v  l)n.1. a. Relative position or rank on a scale: the local level of government; studying at the graduate level. b. A relative degree, as of achievement, intensity, or concentration: an unsafe level of toxicity; a high level of frustration. 2. A natural or proper position, place, or stage: I finally found my own level in the business world. 3. Position along a vertical axis; height or depth: a platform at knee level. 4. a. A horizontal line or plane at right angles to the plumb. b. The position or height of such a line or plane. 5. A flat, horizontal surface. 6. A land area of uniform elevation. 7. a. An instrument for ascertaining whether a surface is horizontal, vertical, or at a 45° angle, consisting essentially of an encased, liquid-filled tube containing an air bubble that moves to a center window when the instrument is set on an even plane. Also called spirit level. b. Such a device combined with a telescope and used in surveying. c. A computation of the difference in elevation between two points by using such a device. adj.1. Having a flat, smooth surface. 2. Being on a horizontal plane. 3. a. Being at the same height or position as another; even. b. Being at the same degree of rank, standing, or advantage as another; equal. c. Being or relating to a specified rank or standing. Often used in combination: a lower-level administrator. 4. Exhibiting no abrupt variations; steady: spoke in a level tone. 5. Rational and balanced; sensible: came to a level appraisal of the situation; keeps a level head in an emergency. 6. Filled evenly to the top: a level tablespoon of the medicine. v. lev·eled or lev·elled, lev·el·ing or lev·el·ling, lev·els v.tr.1. To make horizontal, flat, or even: leveled the driveway with a roller; leveled off the hedges with the clippers. 2. To tear down; raze. 3. To knock down with or as if with a blow: The challenger leveled the champion with a mighty uppercut. 4. To place on the same level; equalize. 5. To aim along a horizontal plane: leveled the gun at the target. 6. To direct emphatically or forcefully toward someone: leveled charges of dishonesty. 7. To measure the different elevations of (a tract of land) with a level. v.intr.1. To bring persons or things to an equal level; equalize. 2. To aim a weapon horizontally. 3. Informal To be frank and open: advised the suspect to level with the authorities. adv. Along a flat or even line or plane. Phrasal Verb: level off1. To move toward stability or consistency: Prices leveled off. 2. To maneuver an aircraft into a flight attitude that is parallel to the surface of the earth after gaining or losing altitude. Idioms: (one's) level best The best one can do in an earnest attempt: I did my level best in math class. on the level Informal Without deception; honest.
[Middle English, an instrument to check that a surface is horizontal, from Old French livel, from Vulgar Latin *l bellum, from Latin lbella, diminutive of lbra, balance.]
level·ly adv. level·ness n. Synonyms: level, flat1, even1, plane1, smooth, flush1 These adjectives describe surfaces without elevations or depressions. Level implies being parallel with the line of the horizon: acres of level farmland. Flat applies to surfaces without curves, protuberances, or indentations: a flat rock. Even refers to flat surfaces in which no part is higher or lower than another: the even surface of the mirror. Plane is a mathematical term referring to a surface containing all the straight lines connecting any two points on it: a plane figure. Smooth describes a surface on which the absence of irregularities can be established by sight or touch: smooth marble. Flush applies to a surface that is on an exact level with an adjoining one: a door that is flush with the wall. See Also Synonyms at aim. |
level Adjective 1. on a horizontal plane 2. having an even surface 3. being of the same height as something else: the floor of the lean-to was level with the patio 4. equal to or even with (something or someone else): Johnson was level with the overnight leader 5. not exceeding the upper edge of (a spoon etc.) 6. consistent or regular: a level pulse 7. one's level best the best one can do Verb [-elling, -elled] or US [-eling, -eled] 1. (sometimes foll. by off)to make horizontal or even 2. to make equal in position or status 3. to direct (an accusation or criticism) emphatically at someone 4. to focus (a look) directly at someone 5. to aim (a weapon) horizontally 6. to demolish completely Noun 1. a horizontal line or plane 2. a device, such as a spirit level, for determining whether a surface is horizontal 3. position or status in a scale of values: a high-level delegation 4. stage or degree of progress: primary school level 5. a specified vertical position: floor level 6. the topmost horizontal line or plane from which the height of something is calculated: sea level 7. a flat even surface or area of land 8. a degree or intensity reached on a measurable or notional scale: noise level 9. on the level Informal sincere or genuine [Latin libella, diminutive of libra scales]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  level - a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality; "a moderate grade of intelligence"; "a high level of care is required"; "it is all a matter of degree"caliber, calibre, quality - a degree or grade of excellence or worth; "the quality of students has risen"; "an executive of low caliber" property - a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class; "a study of the physical properties of atomic particles" grind - the grade of particle fineness to which a substance is ground; "a coarse grind of coffee" depth - degree of psychological or intellectual profundity highness - a high degree (of amount or force etc.); "responsible for the highness of the rates" high - a lofty level or position or degree; "summer temperatures reached an all-time high" low - a low level or position or degree; "the stock market fell to a new low" lowness - a low or small degree of any quality (amount or force or temperature etc.); "he took advantage of the lowness of interest rates" extreme - the furthest or highest degree of something; "he carried it to extremes" | | 2. |  level - a relative position or degree of value in a graded group; "lumber of the highest grade"biosafety level - the level of safety from exposure to infectious agents; depends on work practices and safety equipment and facilities rank - relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority" A level - the advanced level of a subject taken in school (usually two years after O level) college level - the level of education that college students are assumed to have attained | | 3. | level - a specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process; "a remarkable degree of frankness"; "at what stage are the social sciences?"state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state" ladder - ascending stages by which somebody or something can progress; "he climbed the career ladder" acme, meridian, summit, tiptop, superlative, elevation, height, pinnacle, peak, top - the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development; "his landscapes were deemed the acme of beauty"; "the artist's gifts are at their acme"; "at the height of her career"; "the peak of perfection"; "summer was at its peak"; "...catapulted Einstein to the pinnacle of fame"; "the summit of his ambition"; "so many highest superlatives achieved by man"; "at the top of his profession" extent - the point or degree to which something extends; "the extent of the damage"; "the full extent of the law"; "to a certain extent she was right" standard of life, standard of living - a level of material comfort in terms of goods and services available to someone or some group; "they enjoyed the highest standard of living in the country"; "the lower the standard of living the easier it is to introduce an autocratic production system" plane - a level of existence or development; "he lived on a worldly plane" state of the art - the highest degree of development of an art or technique at a particular time; "the state of the art in space travel" ultimacy, ultimateness - the state or degree of being ultimate; the final or most extreme in degree or size or time or distance, "the ultimacy of these social values" quickening - the stage of pregnancy at which the mother first feels the movements of the fetus climax - the most severe stage of a disease | | 4. | level - height above ground; "the water reached ankle level"; "the pictures were at the same level"altitude, height - elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface; "the altitude gave her a headache" | | 5. | level - indicator that establishes the horizontal when a bubble is centered in a tube of liquidindicator - a device for showing the operating condition of some system surveyor's level - surveying instrument consisting basically of a small telescope with an attached spirit level rotating around a vertical axis; for measuring relative heights of land | | 6. | level - a flat surface at right angles to a plumb line; "park the car on the level"floor, flooring - the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure); "they needed rugs to cover the bare floors"; "we spread our sleeping bags on the dry floor of the tent" paved surface - a level horizontal surface covered with paving material platform - a raised horizontal surface; "the speaker mounted the platform" surface - the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface" | | 7. | level - an abstract place usually conceived as having depth; "a good actor communicates on several levels"; "a simile has at least two layers of meaning"; "the mind functions on many strata simultaneously"place - an abstract mental location; "he has a special place in my thoughts"; "a place in my heart"; "a political system with no place for the less prominent groups" | | 8. |  level - a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale; "what level is the office on?"basement, cellar - the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage building, edifice - a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; "there was a three-story building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice" attic, garret, loft - floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage loft - floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space structure, construction - a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts; "the structure consisted of a series of arches"; "she wore her hair in an amazing construction of whirls and ribbons" | | Verb | 1. | level - aim at; "level criticism or charges at somebody"aim, take aim, train, direct, take - point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards; "Please don't aim at your little brother!"; "He trained his gun on the burglar"; "Don't train your camera on the women"; "Take a swipe at one's opponent" | | 2. | level - tear down so as to make flat with the ground; "The building was levelled"bulldoze - flatten with or as if with a bulldozer destroy, destruct - do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of; "The fire destroyed the house" | | 3. | level - make level or straight; "level the ground"grade - level to the right gradient strickle, strike - smooth with a strickle; "strickle the grain in the measure" strickle - level off with a strickle in a measuring container; "strickle sand" | | 4. | level - direct into a position for use; "point a gun"; "He charged his weapon at me"aim, take aim, train, direct, take - point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards; "Please don't aim at your little brother!"; "He trained his gun on the burglar"; "Don't train your camera on the women"; "Take a swipe at one's opponent" point - be positionable in a specified manner; "The gun points with ease" | | 5. | level - talk frankly with; lay it on the line; "I have to level with you"talk, speak - exchange thoughts; talk with; "We often talk business"; "Actions talk louder than words" | | 6. | level - become level or even; "The ground levelled off" | | Adj. | 1. | level - having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another; "a flat desk"; "acres of level farmland"; "a plane surface"; "skirts sewn with fine flat seams"even - being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e. even with); "an even application of varnish"; "an even floor"; "the road was not very even"; "the picture is even with the window" | | 2. |  level - not showing abrupt variations; "spoke in a level voice"; "she gave him a level look"- Louis Auchinclosssteady - not subject to change or variation especially in behavior; "a steady beat"; "a steady job"; "a steady breeze"; "a steady increase"; "a good steady ballplayer" | | 3. | level - being on a precise horizontal plane; "a billiard table must be level"horizontal - parallel to or in the plane of the horizon or a base line; "a horizontal surface" | | 4. | level - oriented at right angles to the plumb; "the picture is level"even - being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e. even with); "an even application of varnish"; "an even floor"; "the road was not very even"; "the picture is even with the window" | | 5. | level - of the score in a contest; "the score is tied"equal - having the same quantity, value, or measure as another; "on equal terms"; "all men are equal before the law" |
level verb 8. destroy, devastate, wreck, demolish, flatten, knock down, pull down, tear down, bulldoze, raze, lay waste to, kennet Austral. ( slang) jeff Austral. ( slang) << OPPOSITE build level with someone ( Informal) be honest, be open, be frank, come clean ( informal) be straightforward, be up front ( slang) be above board, keep nothing back on the level ( Informal) honest, genuine, sincere, open, straight, fair, square, straightforward, up front ( slang) dinkum Austral., N.Z. ( informal) above board  Translations level [ˈlɛvl] adj (= flat) → llano (= flattened); nivelado (= uniform); iguala level spoonful ( CULIN) → una cucharada rasa; on the level ( fig) (= honest); en serio; talks at ministerial level → charlas fpl a nivel ministeriallevel off or out vi [ prices etc] → estabilizarse; [ ground] → nivelarse; [ aircraft] → ponerse en una trayectoria horizontal
 level [ˈlɛvl] adj (= flat) → plat(e) → plan(e) → uni(e) (= horizontal); horizontal(e)"O" levels npl ( Brit) ( formerly) → examens passés à l'âge de 16 ans sanctionnant les connaissances de l'élève, brevet m des collèges; a level spoonful ( Culin) → une cuillerée rase; on the level → à l'horizontale ( fig) (= honest); régulier/ièrelevel off, level out vi [ prices etc] → se stabiliser
 level [ˈlɛvl] adj → ebenn (= on scale, of liquid) → Stand m; to do one's level best → sein Möglichstes tun; "A" levels ( Brit) → Abitur nt; to level a criticism at or against sb → Kritik an jdm üben
 level [ˈlɛvl] adj → piatto/a, piano/a; orizzontale (also: spirit level) → livella (a bolla d'aria)to draw level with [+ team] → mettersi alla pari di [+ runner, car]; affiancarsi a; A levels npl ( BRIT) → esami mpl di maturità; O levels npl (BRIT) (formerly) → diploma di istruzione secondaria conseguito a 16 anni in Inghilterra e Galles, ora sostituito dal GCSE; level off
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