- in, to or through a position that is below something
- Have you looked under the bed?
- She placed the ladder under (= just lower than) the window.
- The dog squeezed under the gate and ran into the road.
- below the surface of something; covered by something
- The boat lay under several feet of water.
- less than; younger than
- an annual income of under £10 000
- It took us under an hour.
- I'm actually in the film for just under two minutes.
- Nobody under 18 is allowed to buy alcohol.
- affected by something
- The wall collapsed under the strain.
- I've been feeling under stress lately.
- I'm under no illusions about what hard work this will be.
- You'll be under anaesthetic, so you won't feel a thing.
- used to say who or what controls, governs or manages somebody/something
- The country is now under martial law.
- The coinage was reformed under Elizabeth I (= when she was queen).
- She has a staff of 19 working under her.
- Under its new conductor, the orchestra has established an international reputation.
- according to an agreement, a law or a system
- A man was detained under the Mental Health Act.
- Under the terms of the lease you had no right to sublet the property.
- Is the television still under guarantee?
- experiencing a particular process
- The hotel is still under construction.
- The matter is under investigation.
- using a particular name
- She also wrote under the pseudonym of Barbara Vine.
- found in a particular part of a book, list, etc.
- If it's not under ‘sports’, try looking under ‘games’.
Word OriginOld English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch onder and German unter.
Check pronunciation:
under