MEANING
To give strong underlying support to a structure, institution, or idea.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- undergird a system
- undergird an argument
On the page
Mutual trust undergirds the entire arrangement.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- undergird
- Past tense
- undergirded
- Past participle
- undergirded
- Present participle
- undergirding
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- undergird
- Present continuous
- am/is/are undergirding
- Present perfect
- have/has undergirded
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been undergirding
- Past
- undergirded
- Past continuous
- was/were undergirding
- Past perfect
- had undergirded
- Past perfect continuous
- had been undergirding
- Future
- will undergird
- Future continuous
- will be undergirding
- Future perfect
- will have undergirded
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been undergirding
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: undergird; undergirds; undergirded; undergirded; undergirding Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: undergirds.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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