undergird

[uhn-der-gurd]

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verb (used with object), un·der·gird·ed or un·der·girt, un·der·gird·ing.

to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around: to undergird a top-heavy load.

to give fundamental support; provide with a sound or secure basis: ethics undergirded by faith.

Origin of undergird

First recorded in 1520–30; under- + gird¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for undergird

bolster, reinforce, hold, uphold, buttress, carry, ground, bottom, prop, cradle, sustain, brace, mainstay, poise, bear, strut, base, stay, shoulder, bed

Examples from the Web for undergird

Contemporary Examples of undergird

To the contrary, he views them as essential to restoring the economic strength that must undergird that power.
Why Hagel Matters
Peter Beinart
January 7, 2013

British Dictionary definitions for undergird

undergird

verb -girds, -girding, -girded or -girt

(tr) to strengthen or reinforce by passing a rope, cable, or chain around the underside of (an object, load, etc)

Word Origin for undergird

C16: from under- + gird 1

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

Word Origin and History for undergird

1520s, from under + gird (v.). Related: Undergirded; undergirding.