- [countable, uncountable] the height of something in relation to the ground or to what it used to be
- The cables are buried one metre below ground level.
- The floodwater nearly reached roof level.
- The river has fallen to its lowest level since 2012.
- the level rose/dropped/decreased/increased
- on a level with something On the second floor you are on a level with (= at the same height as) the treetops.
- on a level The tables are not on a level (= the same height).
Extra Examples- the level of water in the bottle
- The plane was flying at a very low level.
- The water rose to the level of the ground floor windows.
- They are going to raise the level of the banks to prevent flooding.
- below the level of the cloud
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- low
- ground
- …
- adjust
- change
- lower
- …
- above a/the level
- at a/the level
- below a/the level
- …
- a change in level
- a change of level
Definitions on the go
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- [countable] a floor of a building; a layer of ground
- a multi-level car park
- Take the lift to Level Four.
- on a level The restaurant is on the level below this one.
- The library is all on one level.
- Archaeologists found pottery in the lowest level of the site.
Extra ExamplesTopics Houses and homesa2- Are we on the right level for the restaurant?
- Remember that we parked on level 5.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- ground
- lower
- higher
- …
- on a/the level
- to a/the level
- [countable] the amount of something that exists in a particular situation at a particular time
- a low level of support for the proposed changes
- Increase your level of activity to burn more calories.
- to raise/reduce the level of something
- They have achieved higher levels of efficiency.
- A change of course may be needed if the current level of violence continues.
- low/high/elevated blood cholesterol levels
- a reduction/a rise/a decrease/an increase/a change in energy levels
- at a/the… level Profits were at the same level as the year before.
Extra Examples- a test that checks the level of cholesterol in the blood
- Crime has reached its highest level ever.
- Emissions are well below the levels set by the WHO.
- Excessive levels of lead were found in the water.
- Her blood pressure has returned to its normal level.
- Industrial output has reached record levels.
- Mortgage rates were 10% above their current level.
- Radiation is well below the permitted level.
- Rents will be kept at this level for another year.
- She predicts that fuel prices will remain at current levels.
- There will be stiff penalties if companies exceed these levels of pollution.
- They were asked to indicate the level of distress they experienced as a result of their experiences.
- a generous level of financial support for the arts
- an acceptable level of risk
- permitted levels of chemical pollutants
- the worst level of business failure since 1997
- Another cause for concern is the rising level of crime.
- High stress levels will affect employees' productivity.
- The aim is to reduce pollution levels in the city.
- These cities have relatively low levels of unemployment.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- elevated
- high
- significant
- …
- achieve
- attain
- reach
- …
- go up
- rise
- soar
- …
- above a/the level
- at a/the level
- below a/the level
- …
- [countable, uncountable] a particular standard or quality
- The hotel's level of service is consistently high.
- The participants had different levels of education.
- He studied French to degree level.
- What is the level of this course?
- It is difficult to maintain this level of performance.
- at a… level She has played tennis at a high level.
- on a level Both players are on a level (= of the same standard).
- I refuse to sink to their level (= behave as badly as them).
Extra Examples- students who have reached the intermediate level
- students at intermediate level
- language students at different levels of proficiency
- They work hard, but with varying levels of success.
- He has reached an advanced level in his studies.
- Standards of hygiene are at a fairly low level.
- a sport suitable for people of all fitness levels
- Most of these students have a high level of language ability.
- She studied psychology at degree level.
- He reached a very high level at a very young age.
- The school offers classes at all levels from beginner to advanced.
- She's reading at grade level.
- His English is way above the level of the other students.
- The book is not suitable for students below degree level.
- The difficulty level of the exercises in the book varies widely.
- The teaching is at quite a basic level.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- basic
- elementary
- low
- …
- attain
- reach
- complete
- …
- above a/the level
- at a/the level
- below a/the level
- …
- somebody’s comfort level
- take somebody/something to the next level
- [uncountable, countable] a position or rank in a scale of size or importance
- the upper levels of government
- at (a) … level Discussions are currently being held at national level.
- at local/international level
Extra Examples- The decision is being made at top level.
- There is a lot of corruption at a local level.
- The thing has got to be organized on an international level.
- At the local level there's a lot to be said for the plan.
- The party needs to win support at grassroots level.
- These decisions are made at board level.
- He promised reforms at all levels of government.
- It's people at the lower levels within the company that will lose their jobs.
- He rose to the level of general manager.
- You need to do all three levels to qualify as a canteen supervisor.
- It's time to take my career to the next level.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- upper
- low
- …
- reach
- rise to
- at a/the level
- on a/the level
- [countable] a particular way of looking at, reacting to or understanding something
- on a… level On a more personal level, I would like to thank Jean for all the help she has given me.
- Fables can be understood on various levels.
- at a… level At a conscious level, I was quite satisfied with my life.
Extra Examples- On a superficial level everything appears to be in order, but at a deeper level you can see that there's a lot wrong.
- We probably need to look at this problem at a more detailed level.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- conscious
- subconscious
- unconscious
- …
- at a/the level
- on a/the level
- [countable] one of a series of stages in a computer game. Players progress from easy to more advanced levels within the game.
- a computer game with 15 levels
- Players advance to the next level by collecting all the pieces and constructing the spaceship.
- Each level is randomly generated so each game is different.
- (also spirit level)[countable] a device used to test whether a surface is level, consisting of a glass tube partly filled with liquid with a bubble of air inside. The position of the bubble indicates whether the surface is level.
height
floor/layer
amount
standard
rank in scale
point of view
in computer games
tool
Word OriginMiddle English (denoting an instrument to determine whether a surface is horizontal): from Old French livel, based on Latin libella, diminutive of libra ‘scales, balance’.
Idioms
See level in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee level in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishon the level
(North American English also on the up and up)
- (informal) honest; legal synonym above board
- I'm not convinced he's on the level.
- Are you sure this deal is on the level?
on a level/par with somebody/something
- as good, bad, important, etc. as somebody/something else
- This place is on a level with the best French restaurants.
on a par/level with somebody/something
- as good, bad, important, etc. as somebody/something else
- This place is on a par with the best French restaurants.
take something to the next level
- to further improve or develop something that is already successful
- He decided to move to New York to take his career to the next level.
- We are taking web design to the next level.
Check pronunciation:
level