Underlying — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˌən-dər-ˈlī-iŋ/ un·der·ly·ing

Meaning & Definition of Underlying

Underlying (adjective)

  1. lying beneath or below
  2. basic, fundamental
  3. evident only on close inspection, implicit

Underlying (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject

    "the underlying differences between democracy and dictatorship"

    similar: abecedarian, basal, basic, beginning, elemental, elementary, essential, fundamental, introductory, meat-and-potatoes, rudimental, rudimentary
    related: primal, primary, prime, simple, crude, primeval, primitive, primordial, rude, uncomplicated, preliminary, preparatory, crucial, important, key
    opposite: advanced
    near: complex, sophisticated, complicated, convoluted, detailed, elaborate, extensive, intricate, developed, evolved, high, higher, refined

Underlying (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to lie underneath

    "A layer of rock underlies the topsoil."

    similar: steadying, trussing, bearing, bolstering, bracing, buttressing, carrying, propping (up), shoring (up), staying, supporting, sustaining, undergirding, underpinning, upholding

  2. to form the basis or foundation of (something, such as an idea)

    "The assumption that underlies their argument is faulty."

    similar: grounding, basing, hanging, predicating, resting, conducing (to), contributing (to), backing, bolstering, buttressing, corroborating, reinforcing, shoring (up), substantiating, supporting, confirming, establishing, proving, verifying, affirming, avouching, validating, founding, assuming, postulating, premising, presuming, presupposing, supposing
    opposite: undercutting, undermining, weakening

Related Entry: Underlie (verb)

Underlie is a different word from Underlying. The synonyms below are for underlie, not for underlying.

  1. to lie underneath

    "A layer of rock underlies the topsoil."

    similar: steady, truss, bear, bolster, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, support, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold

  2. to form the basis or foundation of (something, such as an idea)

    "The assumption that underlies their argument is faulty."

    similar: ground, base, hang, predicate, rest, conduce (to), contribute (to), back, bolster, buttress, corroborate, reinforce, shore (up), substantiate, support, confirm, establish, prove, verify, affirm, avouch, validate, found, assume, postulate, premise, presume, presuppose, suppose
    opposite: undercut, undermine, weaken

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Underlying

The most common words with a similar meaning to Underlying:

abecedarian, basal, basic, beginning, elemental, elementary, essential, fundamental, introductory, meat-and-potatoes, rudimental, rudimentary, steadying, trussing, bearing, bolstering, bracing, buttressing, carrying, propping (up), shoring (up), staying, supporting, sustaining, undergirding, underpinning, upholding, grounding, basing, hanging, predicating, resting, conducing (to), contributing (to), backing, corroborating, reinforcing, substantiating, confirming, establishing

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Underlying

Words with the opposite meaning of Underlying:

advanced, undercutting, undermining, weakening

Related Words for Underlying

primal, primary, prime, simple, crude, primeval, primitive, primordial, rude, uncomplicated, preliminary, preparatory, crucial, important, key

Near Antonyms of Underlying

complex, sophisticated, complicated, convoluted, detailed, elaborate, extensive, intricate, developed, evolved, high, higher, refined

Origin & Etymology of Underlying

First known use: 1611

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Underlying

Frequently Asked Questions about Underlying

What does "Underlying" mean?

"Underlying" means lying beneath or below. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: lying beneath or below. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Underlying"?

Other words for "Underlying" include abecedarian, basal, basic, beginning, elemental, elementary, essential and fundamental. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Underlying" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Underlying"?

There are 67 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Underlying". Common alternatives include abecedarian, basal, basic, beginning, elemental, elementary, essential, fundamental, introductory and meat-and-potatoes.

What is the opposite of "Underlying"?

Antonyms of "Underlying" include advanced, undercutting, undermining and weakening. Near antonyms include complex, sophisticated, complicated and convoluted.

How do you use "Underlying" in a sentence?

Examples of "Underlying" in a sentence: "the underlying differences between democracy and dictatorship"; "A layer of rock underlies the topsoil."; "The assumption that underlies their argument is faulty.".

Is "Underlying" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Underlying" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Underlying" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Underlying" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Underlying"?

"Underlying" is pronounced /ˌən-dər-ˈlī-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as un·der·ly·ing.