beneath

American  

[bih-neeth, -neeth] / bɪˈniθ, -ˈnið /

adverb

1. below; in or to a lower place, position, state, or the like.

   Antonyms:

   above

2. underneath.

   heaven above and the earth beneath.

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preposition

1. below; under.

   beneath the same roof.

2. farther down than; underneath; lower in place than.

   The first drawer beneath the top one.

3. lower down on a slope than.

   beneath the crest of a hill.

4. inferior or less important, as in position, rank, or power.

   A captain is beneath a major.

5. unworthy of; below the level or dignity of.

   to regard others as beneath one; behavior that was beneath contempt.

beneath British  

/ bɪˈniːθ /

preposition

1. below, esp if covered, protected, or obscured by

2. not as great or good as would be demanded by

   beneath his dignity

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adverb

1. below; underneath

Usage

What is a basic definition of beneath? Beneath is a preposition that means below or under. Beneath can also describe something that is unworthy of someone. Less commonly, beneath is used as an adverb to mean below or underneath.If something is positioned beneath something else, it is under or below it. Beneath is not used as often as words such as below or under. Beneath is most often used when describing a location underground or underneath a surface. In a similar sense, beneath can mean something is lower or farther down than something else.

• Real-life examples: You can stand beneath an umbrella to keep the rain off you. The G key is beneath the T key on a typical QWERTY keyboard.
• Used in a sentence: The pirate treasure was buried in the sand beneath two palm trees.

Beneath can also describe something that is considered unworthy of someone or their dignity.

• Used in a sentence: My rich aunt thinks that shopping at a grocery store is beneath her.

Beneath can also be used as an adverb to describe something as happening below or underneath something.

• Used in a sentence: The dojo master sat on the upper balcony and watched his students training beneath. 

Related Words

See below.

Etymology

Origin of beneath

before 900; Middle English benethe, Old English beneothan, equivalent to be- be- + neothan below, akin to Old High German nidana. See nether

Example Sentences

It rotates on its side, has an irregular magnetic field, and is surrounded by moons that may contain subsurface oceans beneath icy crusts.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Thousands of metres beneath the ground, amid suffocating heat, lies one of the keys to Poland's rumbling mining sector -- and the world economy.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“Either they see us as small children incapable of having things explained to them, or they believe such explanation is beneath them,” it said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

But there has been substantial dispersion beneath the surface, Klar noted.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Nollie’s blue sweater beneath Betsie’s dress was black with newsprint.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom