to have priority over (another) in order of claim, as a bond
Word origin
ME underlien < OE underlicgan
Examples of 'underlie' in a sentence
underlie
It added that this did not affect its underlying profits.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Back pain can be a symptom of sinister underlying problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Underlying sales are forecast to have risen for the third consecutive quarter.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It will take until next summer to prove whether this is a temporary blip or an underlying problem.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Underlying earnings are set to take an 80m hit this year.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Since then the business has struggled to lift its underlying earnings of about 130 million.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Underlying pre-tax profits rose 13.5 per cent.
The Sun (2016)
But underlying sales growth in the first nine months of 2016 was down 7 per cent.
The Sun (2016)
The current consensus is for an underlying pre-tax profit of 16.1 million.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The jump in inflation was almost entirely down to energy, the cost of which tumbled as the oil price collapsed, but underlying consumer prices growth remained weak.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The underlying basis of this condition is likely to be genetic.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Unless you address the underlying problems the next crash could well be worse.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Worrying about what might happen is the underlying cause.
The Sun (2011)
The basis for this underlying configuration is to be found in the dynamic conditions of capital accumulation.
Overbeek, Henk Global Capitalism and National Decline (1989)
There could be underlying causes which can be best understood through a global cognitive assessment.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The person who died had underlying health problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Tackling the underlying cause of your insecurity will stop you imagining your loyal girlfriend is cheating.
The Sun (2016)
But what if the underlying problem goes far beyond the financial sector?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It is also possible that there is no underlying cause.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Underlying food sales were up 1 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Management underlies the rapid growth of Mexico.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGEMENT: task, responsibilities, practices (1974)
It is true that Boots was paying out a large part of its underlying earnings as dividend.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It said that underlying sales had risen by 0.8 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Pre-tax profits grew by 23 per cent on an underlying basis.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The building society reported underlying profit up 155 per cent to 332 million.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The underlying growth most economists think is happening now is much weaker, perhaps only 1%.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Underlying earnings rose 37% to 11m last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The underlying factors supporting growth dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to continue.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Edinburgh airport reported underlying earnings of 50m last year on sales of 110m.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
On an underlying basis, growth was 0.7 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Mr Witty said that underlying growth would have been about 5.5 per cent if it had not beenfor extra price cuts.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
That decline was offset by the British performance, where positive underlying sales were dragged down by the hiatus in government green energy schemes.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Nationwide reported a 9 per cent increase in annual underlying profit as its mortgage lending rose to volumes last seen before the 2007-8 financial crisis.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The bank said that on an underlying basis, stripping out downward valuation of assets, its profits and earnings per share were sharply higher.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
underlie
British English: underlie VERB
If something underlies a feeling or situation, it is the cause or basis of it.
Try to figure out what feeling underlies your anger.
American English: underlie
Brazilian Portuguese: ser a base de
Chinese: 是…的原因
European Spanish: ser la razón fundamental de
French: être à la base deN
German: zugrunde liegen
Italian: essere alla base di
Japanese: 根底にある
Korean: 감정 등의 근거가 되다
European Portuguese: ser a base de
Latin American Spanish: ser la razón fundamental de