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

While it works to allow more housing — the lack of which economists say is the underlying cause of the affordability crisis — the city is taking steps to increase protections for departing tenants.

From Los Angeles Times

A newly published copy of his death certificate dispels much of the mystery: According to that document, Valenzuela’s underlying cause of death was possibly related to a liver disease and liver failure.

From Los Angeles Times

Wittich has been less overtly controversial in his role, but there has remained an underlying discontent within teams and drivers about the management of FIA race control.

From BBC

The underlying sentiment that people should debate in good faith sounds nice but is ultimately empty.

From Salon

How did their arguments and the underlying social structure form a cohesive whole?

From Salon

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