subterranean
Americanadjective
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existing, situated, or operating below the surface of the earth; underground.
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existing or operating out of sight or secretly; hidden or secret.
noun
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a person or thing that is subterranean.
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a subterrane.
adjective
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Also: subterraneous. subterrestrial. situated, living, or operating below the surface of the earth
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existing or operating in concealment
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subterranean
1595–1605; < Latin subterrāne ( us ) ( see subterrane) + -an
Explanation
Subterranean is an adjective that describes something just below what can be seen, like the subterranean jealousy you hide under a smile and kind words for the actor who got the part you wanted. Subterranean feelings and intentions are those you keep "on the down low." In fact, real things that are subterranean really are down low — underground, in fact. A subterranean worm lives under the earth's surface. A subterranean lair is a secret hideout dug under the dirt — or maybe it's just your basement. The word comes from the Latin subterraneus, from sub meaning "under" and terra meaning "earth."
Vocabulary lists containing subterranean
Latin Root "sub" Words
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Power Prefix: sub-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said he still has some hope for those trapped underground, given the protection the subterranean environment might have offered from the deluge above.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
When I listen to your music, it sounds so sunny and playful, but there’s always a subterranean current of profound sadness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Experts estimate that the subterranean complex reaches 300 to 450 feet deep beneath solid rock, with enough room to accommodate several nuclear-related facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Justice Department says 99 subterranean passages have been discovered in the Southern District of California since 1993.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
They were down in some subterranean place—the bottom of a well, for instance, or a very deep grave—but it was a place which, already far below him, was itself moving downwards.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
