The meaning of UNDERLYING is lying beneath or below. How to use underlying in a sentence.

UNDERLYING definition: lying or situated beneath, as a substratum. See examples of underlying used in a sentence.

UNDERLYING definition: 1. real but not immediately obvious: 2. used to describe something on which something else is…. Learn more.

You describe something as underlying when it is below the surface of something else. ...hills with the hard underlying rock poking through the turf. Cars were covered with clear-coat finish to …

1. Lying under or beneath something: underlying strata. 2. Basic; fundamental: the underlying cause of the problem. 3. Present but not readily noticeable: an underlying meaning. 4. Taking …

Definition of underlying adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. important in a situation but not always easily noticed or stated clearly. The underlying assumption is that the …

underlying, adj. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

UNDERLYING meaning: 1 : used to identify the idea, cause, problem, etc., that forms the basis of something; 2 : lying under or below something

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025 un•der•ly•ing (un′ dər lī′ing), adj. lying or situated beneath, as a substratum. fundamental; basic: the …

The word 'underlying' originated from the combination of 'under' and 'lie', with the suffix '-ing' added to form an adjective or verb. It has been used in the English language since the late …