beneath

1 of 2

adverb

be·​neath bi-ˈnēth 

bē-

1

: in or to a lower position : below

the mountains and the towns beneath

2

: directly under : underneath

Look at the illustration and read what is beneath.

beneath

2 of 2

preposition

1

a

: in or to a lower position than : below

beneath the surface

b

: directly under

the ground beneath her feet

c

: at the foot of

a camp beneath a hill

2

: not suitable to the rank of : unworthy of

a job that is beneath his dignity

3

: under the control, pressure, or influence of

the chair sagged beneath his weight

4

: concealed by : under the guise of

a warm heart beneath a gruff manner

Synonyms

Adverb

• below
• under
• underneath

Preposition

• below
• neath [dialect]
• under

Examples of beneath in a Sentence

Adverb

the mountains and the towns beneath

the sky above and the earth beneath

an awning with chairs and tables beneath

The ground beneath is covered with flowers.

Preposition

the sky above us and the earth beneath us

just beneath the surface of the water

The painting is hanging on the wall with a plaque beneath it.

We had a picnic beneath a large tree.

The paper was hidden beneath a pile of books.

She wore a sweater beneath her coat.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The skirt featured completely sheer black fabric overlaying a leotard-like piece beneath. —Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Oct. 2024

Then came Quan’s moving ballet, Beneath the Tides, set to Concert No. 1 by Camille Saint-Saëns, with House of Gilles’s stunning costumes: waist-cinching corsets with nothing beneath for the men and diaphanous midi dresses with flowing skirts for the women. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2024

Preposition

His signature production style — the glistening synth chord progressions that doused early OF releases in a cartoon-like technicolor — arrived subdued beneath a moodier sonic register. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2024

Alternately, the descending slab might have dipped beneath the Nazca plate’s predecessor, Wang says, in a bout of ancient tectonic reshuffling. —Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adverb and Preposition

Middle English benethe, from Old English beneothan, from be- + neothan below; akin to Old English nithera nether — more at nether

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing beneath

• beneath contempt
• beneath one's dignity
• from beneath

Kids Definition

beneath

1 of 2 adverb

be·​neath bi-ˈnēth 

: in or to a lower position : below

beneath

2 of 2 preposition

1

a

: lower than : below

b

: directly under

2

: not worthy of

work beneath your dignity