underlie
/ˌʌndərˈlaɪ/
verb
- To be the foundation or cause of something; to form the basis of an idea, situation, or argument.
- Trust underlies every strong relationship.
- Several scientific principles underlie this new technology.
- A deep respect for nature underlies the community's environmental policies.
- To lie or be situated under something.
- Geologists studied the rock formations that underlie the mountain range.
- A layer of clay underlies the topsoil in this region.
- The bedrock that underlies the city is very old.
Antonyms