Although still objected to by some, the use of above as a noun to mean "something that is above"

Above is a preposition (prep) or an adverb (adv). …

In writing, you use above to refer to something that has already been mentioned or discussed. Several conclusions could be drawn from the results described above. Full details are in the …

1. An earlier part of a given text: Refer to the above for that information. 2. The person or persons already referred to in a text: The above hereby affix their signatures.

Above means higher than or overhead. On the fourth of July, many Americans like to sit on the ground and watch fireworks above them in the sky. The adverb above is good for describing …

mentioned or described before or earlier, esp. in a book or other piece of writing: the remark quoted above. higher than zero on the Fahrenheit scale: In winter it's often only five above (= …

Apr 14, 2025 · The word “above” typically functions as a preposition or an adverb indicating a position, location, or number that is “higher” than something else.

There are 34 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word above, six of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Synonyms for ABOVE: atop, over, overhead, upwards, upward, aloft, skyward, sky; Antonyms of ABOVE: under, below, beneath, underneath, hell, perdition, inferno, Gehenna

above adverb, preposition (RANK) in a more important or advanced position than someone else: