underlie

verb

un·​der·​lie ˌən-dər-ˈlī How to pronounce underlie (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to lie or be situated under
2
: to be at the basis of : form the foundation of : support
ideas underlying the revolution
3
: to exist as a claim or security superior and prior to (another)
4
archaic : to be subject or amenable to

Examples of underlie in a Sentence

A tile floor underlies the rug. The river is underlain by limestone. We discussed the principles that underlay their methods. A theme of revenge underlies much of her writing.
Recent Examples on the Web Strength and mobility exercises prescribed by a doctor or PT can also address any underlying tightness, imbalance, or other biomechanical issues that contributed to your injury in the first place. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 4 Mar. 2024 Dyslexia happens where there are errors in the code and an individual’s difficulty reading words results from these underlying errors. Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 The figure, closely watched by the European Central Bank as a measure of underlying inflation pressure in the economy, came in at 3.1%, down from 3.3% and the lowest since March 2022. David McHugh, Fortune Europe, 1 Mar. 2024 Elliott took a big position in Pershing Square Holdings, a closed-end vehicle that traded at a discount to the value of its assets, while shorting the underlying securities held in the fund, Ackman said. Yiqin Shen, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 Supervisor Matt Heinz reiterated the need to address underlying conditions causing the increase in jail population before addressing any other issues. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2024 The underlying belief within the MU athletic department is that more changes — potentially big ones — are coming to this still relatively new landscape of college sports. Jaden Lewis, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024 Andrew Henderson, Rich’s husband and co-author, said even simple things on the plane have underlying safety purposes. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 Successive governments papered over underlying structural problems by enacting generous social and industrial policies financed by excessive borrowing. Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underlie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of underlie was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near underlie

Cite this Entry

“Underlie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underlie. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

underlie

verb
un·​der·​lie ˌən-dər-ˈlī How to pronounce underlie (audio)
underlay -ˈlā How to pronounce underlie (audio) ; underlain -ˈlān How to pronounce underlie (audio) ; underlying -ˈlī-iŋ How to pronounce underlie (audio)
1
: to lie or be located under
2
: to form the foundation of : support
ideas underlying the revolution
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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