- 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.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 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