lower-down

English

Etymology

From lower +‎ down. Modeled after higher-up.

Pronunciation

Noun

lower-down (plural lower-downs)

  1. Someone with lesser superiority or authority in an organization.
    Synonym: subordinate
    Antonyms: higher-up, superior
    • 2020, Evert Van de Vliert, “The global ecology of differentiation between us and them”, in Nature Human Behavior‎[1], volume 4, number 3, pages 270-278:
      Humans distinguish between we-groups and they-groups, such as relatives versus strangers and higher-ups versus lower-downs, thereby creating crucial preconditions for favouring their own groups while discriminating against others.

Usage notes

Often used in conjunction with higher-up.

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