undergird

American  

[uhn-der-gurd] / ˌʌn dərˈgɜrd /

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.

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undergird British  

/ ˌʌndəˈɡɜːd /

verb

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

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Etymology

Origin of undergird

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

Example Sentences

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

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Salon

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.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Los Angeles Times

Whatever progress has been made, there is still one fundamental reality that undergirds American involvement in the peace process in the days ahead.

From BBC

Related Words

• bolster
• hold
• reinforce
• uphold