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Showing results for underlying. Search instead for underlyin.
Definitions

underlying

[uhn-der-lahy-ing] / ˈʌn dərˌlaɪ ɪŋ /
ADJECTIVE
fundamental, latent
Synonyms
STRONGEST
basic elemental hidden
STRONG
bottom concealed lurking prime root veiled
WEAK
basal bottom-line cardinal critical crucial elementary essential indispensable intrinsic necessary needful nitty-gritty nub primary primitive radical substratal vital
Antonyms
WEAK
secondary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The underlying note in your story does not appear to be that he’s entitled, necessarily.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

The 22 clubs who have submitted their books for 2024-25 have lost a combined £317m, if you take into account Stoke's underlying numbers without the £90m written off loan.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

What exactly is meant by “the underlying assessments“? How can they be “similar” when the results for the articles the study spotlighted are materially different?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Although only a small fraction of schizophrenia patients carry mutations in grin2a, the researchers suggest that dysfunction in this circuit may represent a shared mechanism underlying cognitive impairments in some patients.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

There is some truth to so-called fundamental analysis, which looks to the economic factors underlying a stock’s value.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.