under

[ uhn-der ]

/ ˈʌn dər /

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See synonyms for under on Thesaurus.com

preposition

beneath and covered by: under a table; under a tree.

below the surface of: under water; under the skin.

at a point or position lower or further down than: He was hit just under his eye.

in the position or state of bearing, supporting, sustaining, enduring, etc.: to sink under a heavy load.

beneath the heading or within the category of: Classify the books under “Fiction” and “General.”

as designated, indicated, or represented by: to register under a new name.

below in degree, amount, etc.; less than: purchased under cost.

below in rank; of less dignity, importance, or the like: A corporal is under a sergeant.

subject to the authority, direction, or supervision of: a bureau functioning under the prime minister.

subject to the instruction or advice of: to study the violin under Heifetz.

subject to the influence, condition, force, etc., of: under these circumstances; born under the sign of Taurus.

protected, controlled, or watched by: under guard.

authorized, warranted, or attested by: under one's hand or seal.

in accordance with: under the provisions of the law.

during the rule, administration, or government of: new laws passed under President Reagan.

in the state or process of: under repair; a matter under consideration.

Nautical. powered by the means indicated: under sail; under steam.

adverb

below or beneath something: Go over the fence, not under.

beneath the surface.

in a lower place.

in a lower degree, amount, etc.: selling blouses for $25 and under.

in a subordinate position or condition.

in or into subjection or submission.

adjective

beneath or on the underside: the under threads of the embroidery.

lower in position.

lower in degree, amount, etc.

lower in rank or condition.

subject to the control, effect, etc., as of a person, drug, or force: The hypnotist had her subject under at once. The patient was under as soon as he breathed the anesthetic.

Verb Phrases

go under,

to give in; succumb; yield: She tried desperately to fight off her drowsiness, but felt herself going under.
to fail in business: After 20 years on the same corner they finally went under.

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Idioms about under

under wraps. wrap (def. 14).

Origin of under

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch onder,German unter,Old Norse undir,Latin inferus located below

synonym study for under

2. See below.

Other definitions for under (2 of 2)

under-

a prefixal use of under, as to indicate place or situation below or beneath (underbrush; undertow); lower in grade or dignity (undersheriff; understudy); of lesser degree, extent, or amount (undersized); or insufficiency (underfeed).

Origin of under-

Middle English; Old English

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WORDS THAT USE UNDER-

What does under- mean?

Under- is a prefix meaning “under” and is used in a variety of senses, including “below or beneath,” “inferior,” or “lesser.” It is often used in a variety of everyday terms.

Under- ultimately comes from Old English under, of the same meaning. The Greek translation of under is hypó, the source of the prefix hypo–, and the Latin translation is sub, the source of the prefix sub–. These prefixes can be found in hypoallergenic, hypothermia, subterranean, and subway. To learn more, check out our entries for all four words.

Examples of under-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features under– is
underdog, “a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict.”

We know under– means “under,” and the –dog portion of the word clearly means “dog.” The term comes from dogfighting and refers to a dog who lost a fight. The term came to be used figuratively to refer to anyone in a competition. Underdog literally means “lesser dog.”

What are some words that use the combining form under-?

underact
underage
underbelly
underbid
undercut (using the equivalent form of under– in Middle English)
underfoot (using the equivalent form of under– in Middle English)
undergo (using the equivalent form of under– in Old English)
undergrowth

What are some other forms that under– may be commonly confused with?

un-
utero-

Break it down!

Given the meaning of under-, what does undercut literally mean?

How to use under in a sentence

“The institution of marraige [sic] is under attack in our society and it needs to be strengthened,” Bush wrote.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Price for adults to $4250; From 10 years to 14 years to $2125; Under 10 years free,” the listing says.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Under Suleimani several military branches have taken shape [in Iraq] which are run by Iran and the Iranian military,” he said.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq|IranWire|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

And that means they also fall under the umbrella of programs most likely to get the axe when state and federal budgets are tight.
How to Solve the Policing Crisis|Keli Goff|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Under the one-sixth they appear as slender, highly refractive fibers with double contour and, often, curled or split ends.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The Pontellier and Ratignolle compartments adjoined one another under the same roof.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The Majesty on high has a colony and a people on earth, which otherwise is under the supremacy of the Evil One.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Poor Squinty ran and tried to hide under the straw, for he knew the boy was talking about him.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
For several months he remained under a political cloud, charged with incompetency to quell the Philippine Rebellion.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for under (1 of 2)

under

/ (ˈʌndə) /

preposition

directly below; on, to, or beneath the underside or base ofunder one's feet

less thanunder forty years

lower in rank thanunder a corporal

subject to the supervision, jurisdiction, control, or influence of

subject to (conditions); in (certain circumstances)

within a classification ofa book under theology

known byunder an assumed name

planted witha field under corn

powered byunder sail

astrology during the period that the sun is in (a sign of the zodiac)born under Aries

adverb

below; to a position underneath something

Word Origin for under

Old English; related to Old Saxon, Gothic undar, Old High German untar, Old Norse undir, Latin infra

British Dictionary definitions for under (2 of 2)

under-

prefix

below or beneathunderarm; underground

of lesser importance or lower rankundersecretary

to a lesser degree than is proper; insufficient or insufficientlyundercharge; underemployed

indicating secrecy or deceptionunderhand

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with under

under

In addition to the idioms beginning with under

under a cloud
under age
under any circumstances
under arrest
under consideration
under cover
under false colors
under fire
under lock and key
under one's belt
under one's breath
under one's feet
under one's hat
under one's nose
under one's own steam
under one's skin
under pain of
under par
under someone's spell
under someone's thumb
under someone's wing
under the aegis of
under the circumstances
under the counter
under the gun
under the hammer
under the impression
under the influence
under the knife
under the sun
under the table
under the weather
under the wire
under way
under wraps

also see:

below (under) par
born under a lucky star
buckle under
come under
cut the ground from under
don't let the grass grow under one's feet
everything but the kitchen sink (under the sun)
fall under
false colors, sail under
get under someone's skin
go under
hide one's light under a bushel
hot under the collar
keep under one's hat
knock the bottom out (props out from under)
knuckle under
light a fire under
nothing new under the sun
of (under) age
out from under
plow under
pull the rug out from under
put the skids under
six feet under
snow under
sweep under the rug
water over the dam (under the bridge)

under

Idioms about under

Origin of under

synonym study for under

Other definitions for under (2 of 2)

Origin of under-

WORDS THAT USE UNDER-

What does under- mean?

Examples of under-

Break it down!

Words related to under

How to use under in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for under (1 of 2)

Word Origin for under

British Dictionary definitions for under (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with under