Meaning & use
underlying causes
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Meanings
nounplural
The basic reasons something happens, especially ones that are not obvious at first.
Grammar: Always plural in this phrase; use 'the underlying causes of something', not 'for'.
Patterns
- the underlying causes of something
- underlying causes behind something
- address the underlying causes
The report looks at the underlying causes of the housing shortage, not just the latest price rise.
Doctors say we must treat the underlying causes of the illness rather than only the symptoms.
Poverty and poor schooling are among the underlying causes of the unrest.
nounpluralformal
The deeper factors that explain why a problem keeps returning.
Grammar: Often used in formal writing about policy, health, or social problems.
Patterns
- identify the underlying causes
- the underlying causes of poverty
- tackle the underlying causes
Unless we identify the underlying causes, the same problem will come back next year.
The charity tries to tackle the underlying causes of homelessness.
Common combinations
- the underlying causes of something
- Scientists are still studying the underlying causes of the disease.
- address the underlying causes
- The new policy aims to address the underlying causes of unemployment.
- identify the underlying causes
- It took years to identify the underlying causes of the failure.
- tackle the underlying causes
- Schools alone cannot tackle the underlying causes of poverty.
- underlying causes behind something
- There are deeper underlying causes behind the recent protests.
Synonyms and how they differ
- root causes
- Very close in meaning, but 'root causes' often suggests the single deepest origin, while 'underlying causes' can be several hidden factors.
- reasons
- More general and less formal; 'reasons' can be obvious or surface-level, whereas 'underlying causes' are usually hidden and deeper.
- factors
- Neutral and broad; 'factors' may simply influence something, while 'underlying causes' are the basic reasons it happens.
Opposites
Word family
- underlying adjective
- Existing beneath the surface or as a basic cause.
- underlie verb
- To be the real cause or basis of something.
- cause noun
- A person or thing that makes something happen.
Commonly confused: underlying causes or underlining?
underlying causes vs underlining
'Underlining' is drawing a line under words; 'underlying' means hidden or basic. Check the spelling: underlying has 'ly', not 'lin'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'underlying causes' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Underlying causes' is a plural phrase and takes 'of': the underlying causes of the problem. Option 0 uses 'for', which does not fit this fixed pattern; option 2 mixes singular 'cause' with plural 'problems'; option 3 wrongly uses 'a' with a plural noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “underlying causes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.