underlie
Exist beneath something
To underlie is to lie beneath or form the foundation of something.
Rock strata underlie soil; basic assumptions underlie arguments.
The word usually appears in its present participle: the underlying causes of the conflict, underlying health conditions.
What underlies something supports it from below, whether literally or figuratively.
Solid stone underground
- substratumFoundational layer beneath
- baseSupporting bottom structure
- groundworkFoundational preparation for something
- underpinningFoundational support beneath
substructure · substrate · footing · infrastructure · cornerstone · framework · scaffolding · support
Underlying support or principle
- rootUnderground absorbing structure
- sourcePoint of origin
- reasonBasis or justification
- originStarting point or source
antecedent · motivation · rationale · genesis · trigger · catalyst · precipitant · determinant
Present but inactive
- concealedMade invisible deliberately
- beneathIn a lower position
- unseenNot perceived visually
- buriedPlaced beneath earth
submerged · obscured · veiled · undetected · covert · lurking · below the surface · deep-seated
External outline of something
- informGive facts to
- determineEstablish through investigation
- governExercise political control
- pervadeSpread throughout completely
condition · affect · drive · guide · permeate · suffuse · animate · motivate
Foundation for logical argument
- presuppositionImplicit prior assumption
- postulateAssumed starting point
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- suppositionBelief without proof
axiom · proposition · theory · belief · conjecture · inference · presumption · given
bedrock
Solid stone underground
- substratumFoundational layer beneath
- baseSupporting bottom structure
- groundworkFoundational preparation for something
underpinning · substructure · substrate · footing · infrastructure · cornerstone · framework · scaffolding · support · anchor
basis
Underlying support or principle
origin · antecedent · motivation · rationale · genesis · trigger · catalyst · precipitant · determinant · driver
latent
Present but inactive
buried · submerged · obscured · veiled · undetected · covert · lurking · below the surface · deep-seated · masked
shape
External outline of something
pervade · condition · affect · drive · guide · permeate · suffuse · animate · motivate · color
premise
Foundation for logical argument
- presuppositionImplicit prior assumption
- postulateAssumed starting point
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
supposition · axiom · proposition · theory · belief · conjecture · inference · presumption · given · precondition
- underlying conditions
- red underlineTypo marker in editors
- underlying causeHidden reason beneath surface
- underlying themeCentral idea throughout
- underlying formAbstract stored form
underline, underlying, underlining, underlined, underlines, underlies, underlay, underlaid, underlain