low-level
/ˌləʊ ˈlevl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌləʊ ˈlevl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlō-ˈle-vəl/ (ame, mw)
low-level — adjective
1. having a junior position in an organization or being treated as unimportant with
having a junior position in an organization or being treated as unimportant within a group or system
The junior analyst was given only low-level tasks during her first month at the firm.
collocation: low-level tasks
Kwame felt frustrated that low-level staff were never invited to the weekly strategy meetings.
collocation: low-level staff
A low-level official approved the building permit without checking the decision with her supervisor first.
The ambassador refused to handle low-level talks and demanded to speak directly with the foreign minister.
Ingrid began in a low-level position answering the phones and slowly worked her way up to department head.
- junior
emphasises less experience or shorter time in a role, not necessarily unimportant
- subordinate
more formal; stresses being under someone else's authority in a chain of command
- menial
describes work that requires no training or skill, often with a negative feel
2. situated close to the ground or floor, rather than raised up high
situated close to the ground or floor, rather than raised up high
A low-level shelf held the children's picture books where even the smallest toddlers could reach them.
collocation: low-level shelf
Low-level clouds drifted across the valley as the farmers began their morning work in the fields.
collocation: low-level clouds
The architect placed low-level windows along the south wall so the family could watch birds from the sofa.
Fatima ducked behind a low-level stone wall, staying completely hidden as the patrol truck rumbled past.
The gallery installed low-level display cases so wheelchair users could admire the ancient jewellery up close.
- low-lying
used mainly for land, hills, or geographical features, not for built objects
- ground-level
stresses being exactly at the same height as the ground, not just near it
3. not severe or grave — used about crimes, medical conditions, or problems that ca
not severe or grave — used about crimes, medical conditions, or problems that cause little real harm
The local court deals with low-level crimes like petty theft and sends serious cases to the district court.
collocation: low-level crimes
Dr. Chen examined the cut on Arun's hand and said it was a low-level injury needing only a plaster.
The head teacher dealt with low-level bullying by bringing the students together for a mediation session.
Tariq felt a low-level headache coming on, so he drank a glass of water and rested his eyes.
The new policy aims to reduce low-level rule-breaking by making the procedures much clearer for all staff.
用法筆記
Subject is usually an offence, crime, infection, or medical condition that poses no serious threat.
4. at a simple or introductory stage, not demanding advanced knowledge or previous
at a simple or introductory stage, not demanding advanced knowledge or previous experience
Dmitri signed up for a low-level coding class to see if he enjoyed programming before committing to a full diploma.
collocation: low-level class
The textbook starts with low-level exercises and slowly introduces trickier problems in the later chapters.
collocation: low-level exercises
The swimming coach put the nervous beginners in a low-level group so they could build confidence in the shallow end.
Chidi found the low-level maths problems far too easy and asked the teacher for a more challenging worksheet.
The language app provides low-level lessons for people who have never studied a word of Spanish before.
- basic
more general; 'low-level' often implies a structured course or official grading system
- elementary
slightly more formal; common in course titles and official level descriptions
- introductory
stresses that the content is a first step, designed for complete beginners
5. not strong or bright — used about light, heat, vibration, and other forms of ene
not strong or bright — used about light, heat, vibration, and other forms of energy that are kept deliberately mild
The photographer set a low-level light behind the model to create a soft golden glow around her silhouette.
collocation: low-level light
A low-level warmth rose from the old cast-iron radiator, just enough to take the chill off the study.
collocation: low-level warmth / low-level heat
The night nurse clicked on a low-level lamp so she could check the patients without disturbing their sleep.
The security scanner gives off a low-level magnetic field that is harmless to people walking through it.
Even low-level sunlight can slowly fade the museum's oldest textiles, so the curtains stay closed all day.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (NEAR GROUND): 'low-level lighting' in sense 2 describes lights positioned close to the floor; in this sense it means dim or soft lighting.
6. not loud; kept at a soft, unobtrusive volume so that it does not disturb or over
not loud; kept at a soft, unobtrusive volume so that it does not disturb or overwhelm
The café played low-level jazz in the background, soft enough that customers could still chat without raising their voices.
collocation: low-level music / low-level background noise
A low-level hum came from the old refrigerator — barely noticeable during the day but irritating at night.
collocation: low-level hum
The librarian asked the group of teenagers to keep their conversation at a low level so others could read.
The baby monitor picked up a low-level cry, and both parents hurried upstairs to check on the twins.
Her meditation app plays low-level nature sounds — soft rain and distant birdsong — to help her drift off.
7. containing or releasing only small amounts of radioactive material, below the le
containing or releasing only small amounts of radioactive material, below the level considered acutely dangerous
The nuclear plant stores low-level waste in sealed steel drums buried deep underground for decades.
collocation: low-level waste
Technicians at the research lab wore protective overalls even though the samples were classified as low-level.
The geologist carried a handheld meter to check for low-level radioactivity in the rock samples from the old quarry.
The government issued new rules on how hospitals must dispose of low-level radioactive material from medical scans.
Scientists tracked low-level contamination in the river for six months after a small leak at the power station.
- low-grade
used in medical contexts for tumours or fevers; for radiation, 'low-level' is the standard term
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively about radiation, nuclear waste, and radioactive contamination. The threshold for 'low-level' is defined by official safety regulations.
8. describing a programming language or instruction that is close to the way a comp
describing a programming language or instruction that is close to the way a computer processor actually works, using numerical codes rather than words that resemble human language
Assembly is a low-level language that lets the programmer control exactly what the processor does step by step.
collocation: low-level language
The first-year computing students spent a term writing low-level code before they moved on to Python.
collocation: low-level code
Writing a device driver requires low-level programming because the software must talk directly to the hardware.
Nadia rewrote the image filter with low-level instructions, and the whole job ran in two seconds instead of twenty.
Modern game engines handle low-level tasks like memory management so that designers can focus on the creative side.
- machine-level
stresses direct correspondence to processor instructions; less common than 'low-level'
- high-level
describes languages like Python or JavaScript that abstract away hardware details
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (BASIC LEVEL): in computing, 'low-level' refers to proximity to machine code, not to ease of learning. A low-level language can be very hard to master.