under — English Dictionary

Preposition

1. Beneath; below; at or to the bottom of, or the area covered or surmounted by.

   Examples

   We found some shade under a tree.

   Quick, stuff the cash under the mattress!

   More examples (5)

   There is nothing new under the sun.

   There is an oil leak under the car.

   The little boys in the front bedroom had thrown off their blankets and lay under the sheets.

   Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime.

   Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale.[…]Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.

2. Beneath; below; at or to the bottom of, or the area covered or surmounted by. Below the surface of.

   Examples

   Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants!

3. From one side of to the other, passing beneath.

   Examples

   I crawled under the fence.

   There is a tunnel under the English Channel.

4. Less than.

   Examples

   Interest rates are now under 1%.

   We can get there in under an hour.

   More examples (1)

   If you're under age 55 or so, urinary symptoms may be the result of inflammation of the prostate, called prostatitis.

5. Subject to.

   Examples

   We were constantly under bombardment.

   I can't live under these circumstances.

   More examples (1)

   The matter is under investigation.

6. Subject to. Subordinate to; subject to the control of; in accordance with; in compliance with.

   Examples

   He served in World War II under General Omar Bradley.

   During the pandemic, we had to live under severe restrictions.

   More examples (4)

   Under the law and concession agreement with other parties, the private company must pay taxes in time and on a right amount.

   There is general agreement that his military forces were organized into six divisions. They were stationed at the following places: at Ti-hua under the command of Liu Hsi-tsen, at T'a-ch'eng under Chiang Sung-lin, at Ili under Niu Shih, at A-shan under Wei Chen-kuo, at A-k'o-su under Chang Tzu-t'ing, and at Ko-shih-ko-erh (Kashgar) nominally under Tsou-ying, but in reality under Chin's brother, Chin Shu-chih.

   He was then denied by a magnificent tackle from captain Terry as Liverpool continued to press - but Chelsea survived as the memories of the nightmare under Villas-Boas faded even further into the background.

   Dati launched a blistering attack on the prime minister, François Fillon, under whom she served as justice minister, accusing him of sexism, elitism, arrogance and hindering the political advancement of ethnic minorities.

7. Within the category, classification or heading of.

   Examples

   I talked Mom into letting me drop out of Girl Scouts and the Marian [redacted]. Let's just put that under "Unsuccessful Challenge."

   File this under "i" for "ignore".

8. In the face of; in response to (some attacking force).

   Usage

   • Figurative

   Examples

   England's World Cup dreams fell apart under a French onslaught on a night when their shortcomings were brutally exposed at the quarter-final stage.

   to collapse under stress; to give in under interrogation

9. Using or adopting (a name, identity, etc.).

   Examples

   J.K. Rowling has written a crime novel called 'The Cuckoo's Calling' under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

   He writes books under the name John Smith.

   More examples (1)

   She now lives under a new identity.

Adverb

1. In or to a lower or subordinate position, or a position beneath or below something, physically or figuratively.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   pulled under by the currents

   weighed under by worry

   More examples (1)

   The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chain / Could not bring his proud soul under.

2. So as to pass beneath something.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   There's quite a gap, so you may be able to sneak under.

3. Less than what is necessary to be adequate or suitable; insufficient.

   Usage

   • In compounds
   • not-comparable
   • usually

   Examples

   The plants were underwatered.

   Women are under-represented.

4. In or into an unconscious state.

   Usage

   • Informal
   • not-comparable

   Examples

   It took the hypnotist several minutes to make his subject go under.

5. Down to defeat, ruin, or death.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   The COVID-19 epidemic and shutdown took some businesses under.

   Big-box store and online retailing have driven many specialty and local retail stores under.

Adjective

1. Lower; beneath something.

   Examples

   This treatment protects the under portion of the car from rust.

   (in compounds) underbelly, underside, undershirt, undersecretary

   More examples (3)

   The advantages he gains are of double security to him ; first, by the support of his haunches, being at all times more under than before, he learns to be more active with his hind-quarters

   If you allow the right hand to turn under more than the left, a pull will result, and if the left is more under than the right, a sliced ball will surely follow.

   The waves are so steep, they crash so fast and furious I'm more under than up.

2. In a state of subordination, submission or defeat.

   Examples

   The army could not keep the people under.

   I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.

   More examples (1)

   When ready for sea we went up to Greenhithe, that their lordships might inspect us, and then to Portsmouth, to take troops to Cork, a pleasant trip; but the troops left us a legacy of "mahogany flats," with which their beds were so swarming that we never got them under.

3. Under anesthesia, especially general anesthesia; sedated.

   Usage

   • Colloquial

   Examples

   Ensure the patient is sufficiently under.

   More examples (3)

   To the anesthetist Moynihan said, “Have a look down the hall, will you, and see if the nurse has the bed ready. And leave the doors open when you come back so we can carry him through. Send anybody but the nurse away. Then come back and give us a hand with him. Not that he’s so heavy . . .” And then to Matthew, “He’s so far under I’m going to wait a bit for the hypo.”

   She can’t hear us. She’s so far under, that her sensory receptors aren’t working. Her brain regions that regulate waking consciousness and dreaming are shut down. No electrical activity. Only numbness and forgetting.

   “Sam, can we see Pop now?” “Sure Kathy, but he’s been sedated and he’s on morphine to control the pain. He won’t be coherent and he might not recognize any of us.” […] “Dad, we’re here. We came to see you.” There was no response. “Pop, we’re here to see you.” “I guess he’s too far under to recognize us.[…]”

4. Having a particular property that is low, especially so as to be insufficient or lacking in a particular respect.

   Usage

   • Informal

   Examples

   This chicken is a bit under.

   This bag of apples feels under.

   More examples (2)

   My pay packet last week was £10 under.

   My round of golf today was three under.

Noun

1. The amount by which an actual total is less than the expected or required amount.

   Examples

   […] standard cash count forms used to record the count and any overs or unders.

2. Something having a particular property that is low or too low.

   Usage

   • Informal

   Examples

   I went fishing but caught nothing but unders.

   Usually I am at least ten over on that course, but I have shot a couple of unders.

3. A bet that a particular sporting statistic, such as points scored in a game, will be below a certain stated value.

Adjective

1. located below or beneath something else

   Synonyms

   nether

   Examples

   nether garments

   the under parts of a machine

2. lower in rank, power, or authority

   Examples

   an under secretary

Adverb

1. down to defeat, death, or ruin

   Examples

   their competitors went under

2. through a range downward

   Examples

   children six and under will be admitted free

3. into unconsciousness

   Examples

   this will put the patient under

4. in or into a state of subordination or subjugation

   Examples

   we must keep our disappointment under

5. below some quantity or limit

   Examples

   fifty dollars or under

6. below the horizon

   Examples

   the sun went under

7. down below

   Examples

   get under quickly!

8. further down

   Synonyms

   below

   Examples

   see under for further discussion