underpinning

[ uhn-der-pin-ing ]

noun

1. a system of supports beneath a wall or the like.
2. Often underpinnings. a foundation or basis:

   to uncover the emotional underpinnings of an illness.

3. underpinnings, Informal.
   1. underwear, especially women's underwear.
   2. the legs.

underpinning

/ ˈʌndəˌpɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. a structure of masonry, concrete, etc, placed beneath a wall to provide support

Word History and Origins

Origin of underpinning¹

First recorded in 1480–90; under + pin + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Underpinning the goal to eliminate the department is the belief that education policy and practice should be almost entirely up to local officials.

From Los Angeles Times

In my own life, I find myself thinking about the philosophy underpinning dialectical behavior therapy, an approach designed for the most challenging situations and intense emotions: learning to simultaneously wholeheartedly accept and change.

From Los Angeles Times

Underpinning this transformation has been Botswana’s huge diamond reserves - measured by their value, the country is the world’s largest producer of the gemstone.

From BBC

The public-private effort underpinning the largest wildlife crossing in the world, under construction near L.A., has inspired an initiative to replicate it across California.

From Los Angeles Times

Whether the genes in question relate to the developmental process or to the expression of proteins, Sackton and Clark write that we’re finding that there’s often a lot more genetic convergence — similar things going on at the level of genes — underpinning the similarities we see between unrelated organisms than you’d expect.

From Salon