Underlie
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˌʌn.dəˈlaɪ/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Underlie is a verb meaning (intransitive) To lie in a position directly beneath something.
Meaning
(intransitive) To lie in a position directly beneath something.
More Meanings
- (transitive) To lie under or beneath.
- (transitive) To serve as a basis of; form the foundation of.
- (transitive) To be subject to; be liable to answer, as a charge or challenge.
- (mining) To underlay.
Example Sentences
a doctrine underlying a theory
A stratum of clay underlies the surface gravel.
The knight of Ivanhoe […] underlies the challenge of Brian der Bois Guilbert.
[…] she was carved into the bole of a red cedar tree. Sun and storm had bleached the wood, moss here and there softened the crudeness of the modelling; sincerity underlay every stroke.
Word Forms
- underlies
- underlying
- underlay
- underlain
Synonyms for underlie
Depending on context, synonyms include underpin.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include underpin, trigger, guide, base, basis, support.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.