under

¹

[ uhn-der ]

preposition

1. beneath and covered by:

   under a table; under a tree.

2. below the surface of:

   under water; under the skin.

3. at a point or position lower or further down than:

   He was hit just under his eye.

4. in the position or state of bearing, supporting, sustaining, enduring, etc.:

   to sink under a heavy load.

5. beneath the heading or within the category of:

   Classify the books under “Fiction” and “General.”

6. as designated, indicated, or represented by:

   to register under a new name.

7. below in degree, amount, etc.; less than:

   purchased under cost.

8. below in rank; of less dignity, importance, or the like:

   A corporal is under a sergeant.

9. subject to the authority, direction, or supervision of:

   a bureau functioning under the prime minister.

10. subject to the instruction or advice of:

    to study the violin under Heifetz.

11. subject to the influence, condition, force, etc., of:

    under these circumstances; born under the sign of Taurus.

12. protected, controlled, or watched by:

    under guard.

13. authorized, warranted, or attested by:

    under one's hand or seal.

14. in accordance with:

    under the provisions of the law.

15. during the rule, administration, or government of:

    new laws passed under President Reagan.

16. in the state or process of:

    under repair; a matter under consideration.

17. Nautical. powered by the means indicated:

    under sail; under steam.

adverb

1. below or beneath something:

   Go over the fence, not under.

2. beneath the surface.
3. in a lower place.
4. in a lower degree, amount, etc.:

   selling blouses for $25 and under.

5. in a subordinate position or condition.
6. in or into subjection or submission.

adjective

1. beneath or on the underside:

   the under threads of the embroidery.

2. lower in position.
3. lower in degree, amount, etc.
4. lower in rank or condition.
5. subject to the control, effect, etc., as of a person, drug, or force:

   The hypnotist had her subject under at once. The patient was under as soon as he breathed the anesthetic.

verb phrase

1. 1. to give in; succumb; yield:

      She tried desperately to fight off her drowsiness, but felt herself going under.

   2. to fail in business:

      After 20 years on the same corner they finally went under.

under-

²

1. a prefixal use of under, as to indicate place or situation below or beneath ( underbrush; undertow ); lower in grade or dignity ( undersheriff; understudy ); of lesser degree, extent, or amount ( undersized ); or insufficiency ( underfeed ).

under

¹

/ ˈʌndə /

preposition

1. directly below; on, to, or beneath the underside or base of

   under one's feet

2. less than

   under forty years

3. lower in rank than

   under a corporal

4. subject to the supervision, jurisdiction, control, or influence of
5. subject to (conditions); in (certain circumstances)
6. within a classification of

   a book under theology

7. known by

   under an assumed name

8. planted with

   a field under corn

9. powered by

   under sail

10. astrology during the period that the sun is in (a sign of the zodiac)

    born under Aries

adverb

1. below; to a position underneath something

under-

²

prefix

1. below or beneath

   underarm

   underground

2. of lesser importance or lower rank

   undersecretary

3. to a lesser degree than is proper; insufficient or insufficiently

   undercharge

   underemployed

4. indicating secrecy or deception

   underhand

Word History and Origins

Origin of under¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch onder, German unter, Old Norse undir; akin to Latin inferus “lower” ( inferior ( def ) )

Origin of under²

Middle English; Old English

Word History and Origins

Origin of under¹

Old English; related to Old Saxon, Gothic undar, Old High German untar, Old Norse undir, Latin infra

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. under wraps. wrap ( def 14 ).

More idioms and phrases containing under

• below (under) par
• born under a lucky star
• buckle under
• come under
• cut the ground from under
• don't let the grass grow under one's feet
• everything but the kitchen sink (under the sun)
• fall under
• false colors, sail under
• get under someone's skin
• go under
• hide one's light under a bushel
• hot under the collar
• keep under one's hat
• knock the bottom out (props out from under)
• knuckle under
• light a fire under
• nothing new under the sun
• of (under) age
• out from under
• plow under
• pull the rug out from under
• put the skids under
• six feet under
• snow under
• sweep under the rug
• water over the dam (under the bridge)

Synonym Study

See below.

Example Sentences

“The institution of marraige [sic] is under attack in our society and it needs to be strengthened,” Bush wrote.

From The Daily Beast

It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack.

From The Daily Beast

“Price for adults to $4250; From 10 years to 14 years to $2125; Under 10 years free,” the listing says.

From The Daily Beast

“Under Suleimani several military branches have taken shape [in Iraq] which are run by Iran and the Iranian military,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

And that means they also fall under the umbrella of programs most likely to get the axe when state and federal budgets are tight.

From The Daily Beast

Under the one-sixth they appear as slender, highly refractive fibers with double contour and, often, curled or split ends.

From Project Gutenberg

The Pontellier and Ratignolle compartments adjoined one another under the same roof.

From Project Gutenberg

The Majesty on high has a colony and a people on earth, which otherwise is under the supremacy of the Evil One.

From Project Gutenberg

Poor Squinty ran and tried to hide under the straw, for he knew the boy was talking about him.

From Project Gutenberg

For several months he remained under a political cloud, charged with incompetency to quell the Philippine Rebellion.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use under-

What does under- mean?

Under- is a prefix meaning “under” and is used in a variety of senses, including “below or beneath,” “inferior,” or “lesser.” It is often used in a variety of everyday terms.

Under- ultimately comes from Old English under, of the same meaning. The Greek translation of under is hypó, the source of the prefix hypo–, and the Latin translation is sub, the source of the prefix sub–. These prefixes can be found in hypoallergenic, hypothermia, subterranean, and subway. To learn more, check out our entries for all four words.

Examples of under-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features under– is
underdog, “a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict.”

We know under– means “under,” and the –dog portion of the word clearly means “dog.” The term comes from dogfighting and refers to a dog who lost a fight. The term came to be used figuratively to refer to anyone in a competition. Underdog literally means “lesser dog.”

What are some words that use the combining form under-?

• underact
• underage
• underbelly
• underbid
• undercut (using the equivalent form of under– in Middle English)
• underfoot (using the equivalent form of under– in Middle English)
• undergo (using the equivalent form of under– in Old English)
• undergrowth

What are some other forms that under– may be commonly confused with?

• un-
• utero-

Break it down!

Given the meaning of under-, what does undercut literally mean?