Meaning & use
underlying structure
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableformal
the basic system or pattern that lies beneath something and explains how it works
Grammar: Countable: 'an underlying structure' or 'the underlying structures of the language'.
Patterns
- the underlying structure of something
- an underlying structure in something
- reveal/expose the underlying structure
Linguists study the underlying structure of sentences that look very different on the surface.
The novel seems simple, but its underlying structure is complex.
By mapping the underlying structure of the economy, they found hidden risks.
Word forms
| plural | underlying structures |
|---|
Common combinations
- the underlying structure of something
- The underlying structure of the language is what makes it learnable.
- reveal an underlying structure
- The analysis reveals an underlying structure that most readers miss.
- a deep underlying structure
- There is a deep underlying structure to these myths.
- social underlying structure
- The social underlying structure changed after the revolution.
Synonyms and how they differ
- framework
- 'Framework' is a set of ideas or rules used to understand something; 'underlying structure' is the hidden pattern itself.
- foundation
- 'Foundation' is the base that supports something; 'underlying structure' focuses on the arrangement or system beneath the surface.
Word family
- structure noun
- the way parts are arranged or organized
- structural adjective
- relating to structure
- underlie verb
- to be the hidden basis of something
Commonly confused: underlying structure or infrastructure?
underlying structure vs infrastructure
'Infrastructure' means roads, power lines, and other physical systems; 'underlying structure' is a more abstract pattern or system.
Practice
The book examines the ______ of the family in different cultures.
Choose one answer.
'Underlying structure' fits because the sentence is about the basic pattern or system of the family. 'Underlying assumption' would mean an unstated belief, which does not fit here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “underlying structure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.