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

Medics and displaced people rushed to the hillside to peer beneath as ambulances raced to the scene with their sirens blaring.

From BBC

The S&P 500 is hovering near record levels, but beneath the surface, individual stocks have swung sharply as investors try to assess which companies might be most at risk for extinction.

From The Wall Street Journal

Right now, if a person has taxable income beneath the standard deduction, they don’t owe federal income tax, Gleckman said.

From MarketWatch

His lawyer, though, refuted that West fell asleep, telling the jury: "He wasn't sleeping. He was bored. This is beneath him."

From BBC

This year athletes from more than 80 countries emerged from beneath a massive, illuminated map showing the origins of those competitors.

From Salon