lowness

Lowness is a noun derived from the adjective low. It denotes the quality or state of being low in physical height or vertical position, but it also appears in figurative uses to indicate low rank, status, intensity, or degree. In everyday language, lowness may describe the relative altitude of objects (the lowness of the valley), the rank or social position of a person in historical or literary contexts, or the degree of a property such as temperature, energy, or mood (the lowness of temperature, the lowness of mood).

In moral, social, or aesthetic contexts, lowness can imply deficiency relative to an ideal of greatness, nobility, or potency. The word is often used alongside its synonymous but more specialized form lowliness; while lowness tends to have a broader, everyday sense, lowliness is more common in religious or formal language to denote humility. In technical writing, other terms such as depth, level, or magnitude are typically preferred when precision is required.

Etymology: The noun lowness is formed from the adjective low with the suffix -ness; its sense patterns mirror those of low, allowing both concrete (height, altitude) and abstract (degree, mood) readings. Common collocations include lowness of height, lowness of spirits, and, less commonly, lowness of sound or light.

See also: low, lower, lowliness, baseness, humility.