low-level

English

Etymology

From low +‎ level.

Adjective

low-level (comparative lower-level, superlative lowest-level)

1. Relatively unimportant.

   The low-level bureaucrat couldn't help us and his boss could have but wouldn't.

2. Not intense.

   The low-level radiation released won't kill you immediately, but avoid long term exposure.

3. (computing) Of, or relating to a program, or to code in which each statement corresponds to a single machine instruction.

   The assembler generates low-level code.

4. Detailed.
5. Situated or occurring at a lower level.
   • 2021 September 22, “National Rail Awards 2021: Glasgow Central - Network Rail”, in RAIL, number 940, page 47:

     It remains a key part of the busy Strathclyde railway system, with its high-level platforms served by trains to Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and England, and its low-level platforms a key artery at the heart of the busiest commuter network outside London.

Synonyms

(low status worker):

• at the coal face
• front line
• in the trenches

(detailed):

• brass tacks
• details
• nitty-gritty
• nuts and bolts

Antonyms

• high-level

Coordinate terms

• low-end
• midlevel
• mid-range
• midtier

Derived terms

• low-level language

Translations

code or statement corresponding to a single machine instruction

• Esperanto: malaltnivela
• Portuguese: de baixo nível
• Spanish: de bajo nivel

References

• “low-level”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.