underlying

[ uhn-der-lahy-ing ]

adjective

1. lying or situated beneath, as a substratum.
2. fundamental; basic:

   the underlying cause of their discontent.

3. implicit; discoverable only by close scrutiny or analysis:

   an underlying seriousness in his witticisms.

4. (of a claim, mortgage, etc.) taking precedence; anterior; prior.
5. Linguistics. belonging to an earlier stage in the transformational derivation of a sentence or other structure; belonging to the deep structure.

underlying

/ ˌʌndəˈlaɪɪŋ /

adjective

1. concealed but detectable

   underlying guilt

2. fundamental; basic
3. lying under
4. finance (of a claim, liability, etc) taking precedence; prior

Word History and Origins

Origin of underlying¹

First recorded in 1605–15; underlie + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Diarrhea and constipation can also reveal serious underlying issues, according to Stemcosky.

From Popular-Science

For brushy Southern California, it could be tree limbs or palm fronds falling on power lines, but also lines can slap together and cause a spark, which ignite underlying brush and grass.

From Voice of San Diego

If we can identify a subset of LHPs who display similar underlying pitch quality as the right-handed population of pitchers, then any difference in their outcomes against hitters should reflect the southpaw advantage.

From FiveThirtyEight

They had the league’s ninth-best points percentage when it suspended play in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the underlying picture wasn’t bad either.

From FiveThirtyEight

He wants to use metrics like Krakauer’s to identify underlying properties or general principles that might be shared by those diverse origin stories.

From Quanta Magazine

But there is an underlying feeling that the worst is yet to come.

From The Daily Beast

Political tensions are underlying every move in Nigeria, where, in February, the next presidential candidates will be nominated.

From The Daily Beast

Some were elderly with underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

From The Daily Beast

Underlying all of this legal maneuvering is the social fact that marriages are hard to undo.

From The Daily Beast

The underlying economic factors that cause deficits to shrink often create circumstances that push them to shrink even faster.

From The Daily Beast

The commercial notion is not perhaps quite so distinct here, but the underlying legal relationship is sufficiently marked.

From Project Gutenberg

Here and there, at irregular intervals, the water appeared in pools, pushed to the surface by a lifting of the underlying rock.

From Project Gutenberg

The stream is then forced to cut its way according to the positions of the various underlying strata.

From Project Gutenberg

Hinduism has become a conservative religion and, therefore, a mighty force because of the Swadeshi spirit underlying it.

From Project Gutenberg

There was such real earnestness, so much underlying meaning, in Pauline's voice that she paused and her eyes became thoughtful.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• basic
• elemental
• hidden

More About Underlying

What does underlying mean?

Underlying most literally means situated underneath—lying under something, as in We have to fix the underlying layer before repairing the surface.

Underlying perhaps most commonly means fundamental or basic. This sense of the word is used to describe things that are the basis, foundation, or cause of something else. A person’s underlying beliefs are their most essential beliefs, the ones that all their other beliefs, opinions, or values are based on. A single, underlying issue may be the basis of many other problems. Symptoms are caused by an underlying condition or disease.

Less commonly, underlying can be used to describe something that lies beneath in a figurative way, especially something that’s difficult to detect because it’s partially hidden, such as underlying guilt or the underlying theme of a poem.

Underlying is also the continuous tense (ing– form) of the verb underlie, meaning to literally lie beneath or to be the basis or foundation of, as in This is the main problem that underlies all the other issues. 

In a financial context, underlying is used more narrowly as a way of indicating what came first or what has precedence, such as in things like mortgages or insurance claims.

Example: We are still working to determine the underlying cause of the collapse.

Where does underlying come from?

The first records of the word underlying come from the early 1600s. It comes from the verb underlie, which is recorded much earlier, before 900. The word lie is used in the sense of “to be situated.”

Underlying is perhaps most often used to describe things that are situated at the figurative foundation or root of other things. This sense of the word can be used quite broadly. A thing described as underlying may form the basis of something, it may be the cause of something, or it may be the core motivation for something.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for underlying?

• basic
• foundational
• root

What are some words that share a root or word element with underlying? 

• underlie
• under
• lie
• underlayment
• low-lying

What are some words that often get used in discussing underlying?

• issue
• cause
• problem
• assumption
• foundation

How is underlying used in real life?

Underlying can be used both literally and figuratively. It’s used in many different contexts.

The symptoms of a panic attack are not dangerous, but can be very frightening. Our page has advice to help you deal with panic attacks, and potentially address the underlying issue that may be causing them: https://t.co/DgXwVFMhPR pic.twitter.com/y5tenh39sU

— NHS (@NHSuk) October 17, 2019

For the first time in modern history, Britons are living shorter lives. Poor lifestyles, depression and budget cuts are the leading causes, and experts say one of the underlying problems is the government’s austerity program. https://t.co/oAbPWjXNMI

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 31, 2019

Paul Kagame's often portrayed as an exacting technocrat or “benevolent dictator” that #Rwanda (and Africa) needs to achieve development. The underlying assumption that tyranny is somehow good for business is woefully counterproductive. Some of my thoughts: https://t.co/VWxPKkkNjP

— Jeffrey Smith (@Smith_JeffreyT) September 10, 2020

 

 

Try using underlying!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of underlying?

A. basic
B. root
C. surface
D. foundational