underlying

[uhn-der-lahy-ing]

See more synonyms for underlying on Thesaurus.com

adjective

lying or situated beneath, as a substratum.
fundamental; basic: the underlying cause of their discontent.
implicit; discoverable only by close scrutiny or analysis: an underlying seriousness in his witticisms.

(of a claim, mortgage, etc.) taking precedence; anterior; prior.
Linguistics. belonging to an earlier stage in the transformational derivation of a sentence or other structure; belonging to the deep structure.

Origin of underlying

First recorded in 1605–15; underlie + -ing²

underlie

[uhn-der-lahy]

verb (used with object), un·der·lay, un·der·lain, un·der·ly·ing.

to lie under or beneath; be situated under.
to be at the basis of; form the foundation of.
Grammar. to function as the root morpheme or original or basic form of (a derived form): The form “boy” underlies “boyish.”
Finance. to be primary to another right or security.

Origin of underlie

before 900; Middle English underlyen (v.), Old English underlicgan. See under-, lie²

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

Examples from the Web for underlying

Contemporary Examples

But there is an underlying feeling that the worst is yet to come.
Europe’s Islam Haters Say We Told You So
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 8, 2015
Political tensions are underlying every move in Nigeria, where, in February, the next presidential candidates will be nominated.
The New Face of Boko Haram’s Terror: Teen Girls
Nina Strochlic
December 13, 2014
Some were elderly with underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
Did This Flu Vaccine Kill 13?
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 2, 2014
Underlying all of this legal maneuvering is the social fact that marriages are hard to undo.
Gay Marriage Chaos Begins
Jay Michaelson
November 11, 2014
The underlying economic factors that cause deficits to shrink often create circumstances that push them to shrink even faster.
The Battle of the Deficit Bulge Has Been Won
Daniel Gross
October 6, 2014

Historical Examples

It is plain (suggested Socrates), they do not know the underlying meaning.
The Symposium
Xenophon
The underlying causes for the conduct, life and end of Apicius have not been told.
Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome
Apicius
Sanitation, not the word, but the underlying idea, was taught by precept and example.
The Negro Farmer
Carl Kelsey
An underlying tendency can be discerned in well-organized knowledge.
College Teaching
Paul Klapper
Yet underlying all this there ran a vein of good cheer, of hopefulness.
Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail
Ezra Meeker

British Dictionary definitions for underlying

underlying

adjective

concealed but detectableunderlying guilt
fundamental; basic
lying under
finance (of a claim, liability, etc) taking precedence; prior

underlie

verb -lies, -lying, -lay or -lain (tr)

to lie or be placed under or beneath
to be the foundation, cause, or basis ofcareful planning underlies all our decisions
finance to take priority over (another claim, liability, mortgage, etc)a first mortgage underlies a second
to be the root or stem from which (a word) is derived"happy" underlies "happiest"

Derived Formsunderlier, noun

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 underlying

underlie

v.

Old English under licgan "to be subordinate to, to submit to;" see under + lie (v.2). Meaning "to lie under or beneath" is attested from c.1600; figurative sense of "to be the basis of" is attested from 1852 (implied in underlying).

underlying

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;}}underlying

underlie

Origin of underlie

Related Words

Examples from the Web for underlying

Contemporary Examples

But there is an underlying feeling that the worst is yet to come.

Political tensions are underlying every move in Nigeria, where, in February, the next presidential candidates will be nominated.

Some were elderly with underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

Underlying all of this legal maneuvering is the social fact that marriages are hard to undo.

The underlying economic factors that cause deficits to shrink often create circumstances that push them to shrink even faster.

Historical Examples

It is plain (suggested Socrates), they do not know the underlying meaning.

The underlying causes for the conduct, life and end of Apicius have not been told.

Sanitation, not the word, but the underlying idea, was taught by precept and example.

An underlying tendency can be discerned in well-organized knowledge.

Yet underlying all this there ran a vein of good cheer, of hopefulness.

underlying

underlie

Word Origin and History for underlying

underlie

v.

Origin of underlying