What does levelled mean?
Levelled is the British and American form of a word used both as an adjective and as the past tense and past participle of “level.” As an adjective, it describes something that has been made flat, smooth, or even, as in “a levelled surface.” In figurative contexts, it can describe a situation in which participants have equal opportunities, often in the established phrase “a levelled playing field.” As a verb, it means to bring something to an even height or to make differences less pronounced. The spelling varies by region: British English usually has “levelled” and “levelling,” while American English commonly uses “leveled” and “leveling.” The word is useful because it can describe both literal physical preparation and the social ideal of fairness and equality.
Made flat, even, or smooth; also, equal in status or opportunity.
"The workers carefully checked that the foundation was properly levelled."
The figurative sense is especially common in the phrase “levelled playing field.”
Past tense and past participle of “level,” meaning to make something flat, even, or equal.
"They levelled the soil before planting the seeds."
The spelling is especially associated with British English; American English often uses “leveled.”
A levelled playing field is the literal ideal of giving everyone an equal start.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does levelled come from?
The word comes from the English verb “level,” which developed from the Middle English form and ultimately from Old French “levels,” a word related to Latin “libella,” meaning a small balance or level. The spelling “levelled” reflects the traditional British convention of doubling the final consonant before a suffix beginning with a vowel. American English commonly uses the single-consonant spelling “leveled.”
How levelled is actually used
In British English, the standard spelling is “levelled” and the related present participle is “levelling”; American English more often uses “leveled” and “leveling.” As an adjective, the word can describe a physically even surface or, figuratively, a fair and equal situation.