MEANING
1. To form the underlying cause, assumption, or foundation of something.
2. To be situated beneath something.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- underlie an argument
- underlie a decision
On the page
A belief in unlimited growth underlies the proposal.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- underlie
- Past tense
- underlay
- Past participle
- underlain
- Present participle
- underlying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- underlie
- Present continuous
- am/is/are underlying
- Present perfect
- have/has underlain
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been underlying
- Past
- underlay
- Past continuous
- was/were underlying
- Past perfect
- had underlain
- Past perfect continuous
- had been underlying
- Future
- will underlie
- Future continuous
- will be underlying
- Future perfect
- will have underlain
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been underlying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: underlie; underlies; underlay; underlain; underlying 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: underlies.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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