underlying

adjective/ˌʌndərˈlaɪɪŋ/

Frequency rank: #3,383 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

Hidden but important; forming the basis of something.

Illustration for the English word “underlying”

Example sentence

The researcher identified the hidden cause that was underlying the observed behavior.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 3,301–3,400