Word
underlie
Phoneticsun·der·lie, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌəndɝˈɫaɪ/
UK/ˌʌndəlˈaɪ/
Definition
v. to be the hidden support or reason behind something. You use it when one idea or fact explains why something else happens.
v. to form the basis or foundation of a system, argument, or phenomenon; to lie beneath either physically or conceptually.
Examples
“Strong values underlie their family decisions every day.”
“Economic fears underlie much of the anger voters expressed during the town hall meeting.”
“The quiet belief that hard work is always rewarded underlies much of the novel's moral argument, even when the plot shows the opposite.”
Examples
simple
“Strong values underlie their family decisions every day.”
contextual
“Economic fears underlie much of the anger voters expressed during the town hall meeting.”
complex
“The quiet belief that hard work is always rewarded underlies much of the novel's moral argument, even when the plot shows the opposite.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “underlie” in context.
Verb
01. directly underlie
“These specific genetic markers directly underlie the development of the disease.”
adv + verb
02. fundamentally underlie
“Economic disparities fundamentally underlie the current social unrest.”
adv + verb
Noun
03. underlie assumption
“We need to examine the beliefs that underlie this assumption.”
verb + noun
04. underlie cause
“Stress is often the factor that underlies the physical cause of the illness.”
verb + noun
05. underlie philosophy
“Individual liberty is the core value that underlies their philosophy.”
verb + noun
06. underlie principle
“A commitment to justice must underlie every principle of the new law.”
verb + noun
07. the logic that underlies
“It is difficult to follow the logic that underlies his decision-making process.”
08. underlie much of the
“These traditional values underlie much of the country's legal framework.”
09. underlie the entire system
“A complex network of algorithms underlies the entire system.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. Past tense 'underlay', past participle 'underlain', present participle 'underlying'.
Real-World Examples
“The crypt is located in those vast subterranean caves that underlie the Capitol, in the exact centre of the building and of the city, that is, in a plumb line with the statue of the Goddess of Liberty topping the splendid dome.” “Yet, clearly larger reasons underlie Syria's notorious pro pensity for power plays, crackdowns and coups d'etat.” “The report in the journal Nature Geoscience indicated that emissions of the gas surged under certain conditions from melting permafrost that underlies about 25 percent of land in the Northern Hemisphere.” “LONDON, Dec. 6 - A basic indignation underlies the letters of support gathered here on behalf of the novelist Ian McEwan, who has been accused of plagiarizing from a historical memoir in his novel "Atonement.” Etymology
From Middle English underlien, underliggen, from Old English underliċġan (“to underlie, to be subject to, give way to”), equivalent to under- + lie. Cognate with Dutch onderliggen (“to lie below, lie on the bottom of”), German unterliegen (“to lie under, be subject to, succumb”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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