undergird

[uhn-der-gurd]

verb (used with object)

undergirded, undergirt, undergirding. 

1. to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around.

   to undergird a top-heavy load.

2. to give fundamental support; provide with a sound or secure basis.

   ethics undergirded by faith.

undergird

/ ˌʌndəˈɡɜːd /

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of undergird¹

First recorded in 1520–30; under- + gird ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of undergird¹

C16: from _under- + _gird ¹

Example Sentences

Yet all are undergirded by peoples that had a pre-existing sense of their own distinctiveness, their own nationhood.

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We try and understand the meaning systems that undergird whatever group we’re studying.

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The American version of this belief has undergirded support for Israel among evangelical Protestants.

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Ms. Velez’s Patti exudes a warmth undergirded by a fierce desire to protect her son, and a pleading hope to persuade Nelson that retrenchment is the only path forward.

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That’s the principle undergirding the AI industry’s vast expenditures on data centers and high-performance chips.

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Related Words

• bolster 
• hold 
• reinforce 
• uphold