underlie

verb

un·​der·​lie ˌən-dər-ˈlī 

underlay ˌən-dər-ˈlā  ; underlain ˌən-dər-ˈlān  ; underlying ˌən-dər-ˈlī-iŋ 

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

There are a few midfielders who aren’t receiving anywhere near the same attention as the big names but have plenty going for them, whether that’s because of their role, their underlying numbers, their fixtures or simply their price. — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

On September 2, 2026, World open sourced ProveKit, a post quantum zero knowledge proving toolkit that lets a person prove a fact about themselves, such as being over 18 or holding a valid passport, without ever handing over the underlying document. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

By the time the spreadsheet is finalized, by the time the consulting engagement delivers its report and by the time the dashboard displays its count, the underlying environment has moved on. — Atsushi Yamada, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

And Adobe Brand Intelligence is an always-learning AI underlying the entire content supply chain that keeps content on brand. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for underlie

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny

Kids Definition

underlie

verb

un·​der·​lie ˌən-dər-ˈlī 

underlay -ˈlā  ; underlain -ˈlān  ; underlying -ˈlī-iŋ 

1

: to lie or be located under

2

: to form the foundation of : support

ideas underlying the revolt