underpinnings

/ ˈʌndəˌpɪnɪŋz /

plural noun

1. any supporting structure or system

Example Sentences

Understanding hoarding requires delving into its psychological underpinnings.

From BBC

“We had a lot of heavy conversations in the writers room about things like that that had one on in our own personal lives. The underpinnings of it were real things that everyone feels at some point.”

From Los Angeles Times

"Anti-democratic views were eventually part of the ferment for Trump's development as a kind of fascist situation, which of course ends in January 6," Finchelstein said, adding that he doubts Trump has any deeper "theoretical" underpinnings to his fascist beliefs beyond superficial support for the ideas already popular among his far right base.

From Salon

In addition to lots of therapy and introspective writing, her process so far has been to interview writers, scholars and fat activists about diet culture and its societal underpinnings.

From Los Angeles Times

“As a result,” Doyen writes, “there are serious concerns that the rise in BD diagnoses, with their biological underpinnings, is concealing increasing social and environmental distress among marginalized Americans.”

From Slate