underline

[verb uhn-der-lahyn, uhn-der-lahyn; noun uhn-der-lahyn]

See more synonyms for underline on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), un·der·lined, un·der·lin·ing.

to mark with a line or lines underneath; underscore.
to indicate the importance of; emphasize, as by stressing or italicizing.

noun

Printing. a caption under an illustration.
a line drawn under something; an underscore.

Origin of underline

First recorded in 1715–25; under- + line¹

Related formsun·der·lin·ing, un·der·lin·e·a·tion

[uhn-der-lin-ee-ey-shuh n] /ˌʌn dərˌlɪn iˈeɪ ʃən/, nounun·der·lin·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for underline

Contemporary Examples

Because, rather than underline an emotion I have readily available, it reminds me of a world I passed by without noticing.
Boys Don’t Cry: In Praise of Sentiment
Andrew Sean Greer
June 26, 2013
To underline the point, Noah Claypole “announced his intention of coming to see him hung.”
What’s in a Name? Writers and Their Anthroponymy
Anthony Paletta
February 28, 2013
He also came out strongly in favor of stem cell research, again using a personal family story to underline his commitment.
Romney’s Weird Abortion Gamble
Michelle Goldberg
June 24, 2011
That omission would seem very promising, save that department officials were reluctant to underline its importance.
Give the Libya Cease-Fire Plan a Chance
Leslie H. Gelb
April 11, 2011
Often in high-level diplomacy, key points made in private are restated publicly to underline their seriousness.
Obama's New Buddies
Leslie H. Gelb
May 8, 2009

Historical Examples

One sentence we wish to cross out; the next we wish to underline.
History of the Moravian Church
J. E. Hutton
Tilia thrust her face close to Rachel's to underline her words.
The Saracen: Land of the Infidel
Robert Shea
If there is anything in the article you disapprove, underline it, and perhaps I will omit.
The Story of a Life
J. Breckenridge Ellis
In this eBook, those words are emphasized with an underline.
Pandora's Box
Frank Wedekind
Underline all their mistakes, and, under your eyes, make them correct the mistakes themselves.
John Bull, Junior
Max O'Rell

British Dictionary definitions for underline

underline

verb (ˌʌndəˈlaɪn) (tr)

to put a line under
to state forcibly; emphasize or reinforce

noun (ˈʌndəˌlaɪn)

a line underneath, esp under written matter

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 underline

v.

1721, from under + line (v.). Cf. Dutch onderlijnen. Related: Underlined; underlining. The noun is attested from 1888.

underline

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}underline

Examples from the Web for underline

Contemporary Examples

Because, rather than underline an emotion I have readily available, it reminds me of a world I passed by without noticing.

To underline the point, Noah Claypole “announced his intention of coming to see him hung.”

He also came out strongly in favor of stem cell research, again using a personal family story to underline his commitment.

That omission would seem very promising, save that department officials were reluctant to underline its importance.

Often in high-level diplomacy, key points made in private are restated publicly to underline their seriousness.

Historical Examples

One sentence we wish to cross out; the next we wish to underline.

Tilia thrust her face close to Rachel's to underline her words.

If there is anything in the article you disapprove, underline it, and perhaps I will omit.

In this eBook, those words are emphasized with an underline.

Underline all their mistakes, and, under your eyes, make them correct the mistakes themselves.

underline

Word Origin and History for underline

v.

Origin of underline