under
In or to a position below or lower than something else, often so that one thing covers the other
He hid under the bed.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
under
preposition, adverb
1 in or to a place that is lower than or below something:
The cat is under the table.
We sailed under the bridge.
The boat filled with water, then went under.
2 less than something:
If you are under 17 you are not allowed to drive a car.
3 covered by something same meaning underneath:
I'm wearing a vest under my shirt.
4 controlled by somebody or something:
The team are playing well under their new captain.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
under
un‧der S1 W1 /ˈʌndə $ -ər/ BrE AmE preposition, adverb
[Language: Old English]
1. BELOW below or at a lower level than something, or covered by something OPP over:
Wendy had hidden the box under her bed.
We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Write your name under your picture.
I could see something glittering under the water.
He was wearing a jacket under his coat.
Under her arm, she carried a large portfolio.
In summer, we often slept under the stars.
I’d scare my mom by diving in and staying under (=staying under the water) for as long as I could.
The bench collapsed under the weight of (=unable to support the weight of) so many people.
2. LESS THAN less than a particular number, amount, age, or price OPP over:
These toys are not suitable for children under five.
Most of the events listed cost under £60.
I spend just under four hours a day seeing customers.
and/or under
Children aged 12 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
be under age (=be too young to legally drink, have sex etc)
3. HAVING SOMETHING DONE TO IT used to say what is being done to something or how it is being dealt with
under discussion/consideration/review etc
The possibility of employing more staff is still under discussion (=being discussed, considered etc).
All categories of expenditure are under review.
Four new power stations are currently under construction.
The port was coming under attack from enemy warships.
4. AFFECTED BY SOMETHING affected by a particular condition, influence, or situation:
She’s been under a lot of pressure at work.
under the influence of alcohol/drink/drugs etc
He was accused of driving while under the influence of alcohol.
The operation was carried out while she was under general anaesthetic.
I’m glad to see that you have everything under control.
Two of our national parks are currently under threat from road schemes.
The doctor injected something into my arm and I immediately felt myself going under (=becoming unconscious).
5. under ... conditions/circumstances if something happens under particular conditions, it happens when those conditions exist:
I wish I’d met him under different circumstances.
The system operates well under normal conditions.
6. LAW/AGREEMENT according to a particular agreement, law etc:
the question of whether the trade is illegal under international law
Under the terms of the agreement, the debt will be repaid over a 20-year period.
7. IN POWER if something happens under a particular leader, government etc, it happens when they are in power:
a program initiated under President Clinton and continued under President Bush
Under her leadership, the magazine’s circulation doubled in less than a year.
Would it have been different under a Labour government?
8. POSITION AT WORK if you work under someone, they have a higher position in the company, organization etc than you, and they help to direct your work:
She had a total staff of ten working under her.
From 1847 to 1851 he served under Captain John Randolph Stokes.
At Cambridge he studied under (=was a student of) F. R. Leavis.
9. WHERE INFORMATION IS used to say in which part of a book, list, or system particular information can be found
be/be filed/be listed etc under
The baby’s records are filed under the mother’s last name.
10. DIFFERENT NAME if you write or do something under a particular name, you do it using that name instead of your real name:
He made a few records under the name of Joe Ritchie.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ under something that is under something else has that thing directly above it or covering it: The pen was under the desk. | She had a T-shirt on under her sweater.
▪ below in a lower position than something else, though not always directly under it: From the cliffs we could barely see the people on the beach below us. | His apartment is below ours on the left.
▪ underneath under – used especially to emphasize that something covers, touches, or hides something: The girls wear shorts underneath their cheerleading skirts. | I found the book underneath the sofa.
▪ beneath formal under or at a lower level: They strolled hand in hand beneath the summer moon. | The water lies just beneath the surface of the earth.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
under
under preposition, adverb, adjective [ˈʌndə(r)] [ˈʌndər]
preposition
1. in, to or through a position that is below sth
• 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.
2. below the surface of sth; covered by sth
• The boat lay under several feet of water.
3. less than; younger than
• an annual income of under £10 000
• It took us under an hour.
• Nobody under 18 is allowed to buy alcohol.
4. used to say who or what controls, governs or manages sb/sth
• 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.
5. according to an agreement, a law or a system
• Six suspects are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
• Under the terms of the lease you had no right to sublet the property.
• Is the television still under guarantee?
6. experiencing a particular process
• The hotel is still under construction.
• The matter is under investigation.
7. affected by sth
• 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.
8. using a particular name
• She also writes under the pseudonym of Barbara Vine.
9. found in a particular part of a book, list, etc
• If it's not under ‘sports’, try looking under ‘games’.
Word Origin:
Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch onder and German unter.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
under / ˈʌn.də r / / -dɚ / preposition (LOWER POSITION)
A1 in or to a position below or lower than something else, often so that one thing covers the other:
He hid under the bed.
In AD 79 the city of Pompei was buried under a layer of ash seven metres deep.
She put the thermometer under my tongue.
She was holding a file under her arm (= between her upper arm and the side of her chest) .
They stood under a tree (= below its branches) to avoid getting wet.
specialized If a piece of land is under a particular type of plant, that plant is growing on the whole of that area:
The main fields are under wheat.
If a book, article, or piece of information is under a particular title, you can find it below or following that title in a list, book, library, etc.:
Books on Cecil Beaton will probably be under Art or Photography rather than Drama.
Trifle? That comes under Puddings and Desserts.
under / ˈʌn.də r / / -dɚ / preposition (LESS THAN)
A2 less than:
All items cost/are under a pound.
The discount applies only to children under (the age of) ten (= younger than ten) .
If you get under 50 percent, you've failed the exam.
→ Opposite over
under / ˈʌn.də r / / -dɚ / preposition (EXPERIENCING)
B2 happening during, as a result of, or according to a particular situation, event, rule, etc.:
The work was completed under very difficult conditions.
Now that the deadline is approaching we all feel under pressure.
The chair broke under his weight (= because he was too heavy for it) .
Under the present rules, you can buy ten litres of wine.
under attack, consideration, discussion, etc. B2 in the process of being attacked, considered, discussed, etc.:
The town is under fire (= is being attacked) from the air.
The proposals are now under consideration by the Board of Governors.
The situation is still not under control .
under sedation, anaesthetic, etc. UK treated in the way mentioned:
The patient is being kept under heavy sedation.
She'll have to go under anaesthetic for the operation.
old-fashioned She's been under the doctor for a viral infection.
be under an impression/belief B2 to believe something, often wrongly:
He was under the mistaken belief that I was in charge.
under / ˈʌn.də r / / -dɚ / preposition (CONTROL)
controlled or governed by a particular person, organization, or force:
He's a Colonel, with hundreds of soldiers under him (= obeying his orders) .
I wonder what Britain was like under the Romans (= during the time when the Romans controlled Britain) .
People born under (= during the period of) the star sign Pisces are supposed to be dreamy and artistic.
be under orders to have been ordered to do something:
They're under strict orders not to discuss the situation.
He's under doctor's orders (= has been told by a doctor) to cut down on fatty food and to drink no alcohol for at least six months.
under / ˈʌn.də r / / -dɚ / preposition (NAME)
using a particular name, especially one that is not your real name:
He writes under the name (of) John le Carré.
For his own safety, he has to operate under a false name/an alias.
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
under
/ʌndə(r)/
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: In addition to the uses shown below, 'under' is also used in phrasal verbs such as ‘go under’ and ‘knuckle under’.
1.
If a person or thing is under something, they are at a lower level than that thing, and may be covered or hidden by it.
...swimming in the pool or lying under an umbrella...
Under a wide shelf that holds coffee jars stands a pile of magazines...
She buried her head under the covers, pretending to be asleep...
A path runs under the trees.
PREP
2.
In a place such as a sea, river, or swimming pool, if someone or something is under the water, they are fully in the water and covered by it.
They said he’d been held under the water and drowned...
Goldfish were swimming lazily in a group just under the surface.
PREP
•
Under is also an adverb.
When the water was up to his neck, a hand came from behind and pushed his head under.
ADV: ADV after v
3.
If you go under something, you move from one side to the other of something that is at a higher level than you.
He went under a brick arch...
A river boat passed under the bridge.
PREP
4.
Something that is under a layer of something, especially clothing, is covered by that layer.
I was wearing two sweaters under the green army jacket...
It was hard to see the colours under the layer of dust.
PREP
5.
You can use under before a noun to indicate that a person or thing is being affected by something or is going through a particular process.
...fishermen whose livelihoods are under threat...
I’m rarely under pressure and my co-workers are always nice to me...
Firemen said they had the blaze under control...
He was rushed to court yesterday under armed guard.
PREP
6.
If something happens under particular circumstances or conditions, it happens when those circumstances or conditions exist.
His best friend was killed by police under extremely questionable circumstances...
Under normal conditions, only about 20 to 40 per cent of vitamin E is absorbed...
PREP
7.
If something happens under a law, agreement, or system, it happens because that law, agreement, or system says that it should happen.
Under law, your employer has the right to hire a temporary worker to replace you...
Under the Constitution, you cannot be tried twice for the same crime.
PREP
8.
If something happens under a particular person or government, it happens when that person or government is in power.
There would be no new taxes under his leadership.
...the realities of life under a brutal dictatorship...
PREP
9.
If you study or work under a particular person, that person teaches you or tells you what to do.
Kiefer was just one of the artists who had studied under Beuys in the early Sixties...
I am the new manager and you will be working under me.
PREP
10.
If you do something under a particular name, you use that name instead of your real name.
Were any of your books published under the name Amanda Fairchild?...
The patient was registered under a false name.
PREP
11.
You use under to say which section of a list, book, or system something is in.
This study is described under ‘General Diseases of the Eye’...
‘Where would it be?’—‘Filed under C, second drawer down.’
PREP
12.
If something or someone is under a particular age or amount, they are less than that age or amount.
...jobs for those under 65...
Expenditure this year should be just under 15 billion pounds.
≠ over
PREP: PREP amount
•
Under is also an adverb.
...free childminding service for 5’s and under.
ADV: amount and ADV
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1un·der /ˈʌndɚ/ prep
1 : in or to a lower place than (something) : below or beneath (something) : underneath
• They couldn't climb over the wall, so they dug a hole under it.
• Draw a line under each word you don't know.
• We sat under a tree and rested a while.
• I'm wearing a sweater under my jacket.
• The ball rolled under the car.
• He had a mechanic check under the hood (of the car).
• How long can you hold your breath under water?
• There were 12 of us living under one roof. [=in one place]
2 : guided or managed by (a person or group)
• The cafe is under new management.
• The army captured three forts while under the general's command.
• She has 12 employees (working) under her.
3 : controlled or affected by (something)
• He has been under a lot of pressure/stress at work lately.
• The roof collapsed under the weight of the snow. [=the weight of the snow on the roof caused it to collapse]
• The work was done under the direction/guidance/supervision of an architect. [=an architect directed/guided/supervised the work]
• She was not under a doctor's care [=she did not have a doctor] at the time of the accident.
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol [=driving while drunk] is dangerous and illegal.
• You will be under anesthesia during the operation.
• I can't work under these conditions!
• I would never, under any circumstances, agree to do such a thing.
• The company was under no obligation [=was not obligated/required] to release the information.
• I was under the impression [=I thought] that admission was free.
4 : in a particular state or condition : affected by a particular process
• The police put her under arrest. [=the police arrested her]
• The house is under construction. [=is now being built]
• The incident is currently under investigation. [=is being investigated]
• His suggestion is still under discussion/consideration/review [=is still being discussed/considered/reviewed] by the committee.
5 : according to (something)
• Under the terms of the lease, rent will be due on the first of each month.
• They have fulfilled all their obligations under the treaty.
6 : within the group that has (a particular title or label)
• The purchase is listed under “debits.”
• Many of these foods would come under the heading (of) “delicacies” in certain parts of the world.
7
- used to say that a particular name is used to indicate something
• The table is reserved under my last name.
8 : less or lower than (a certain age, amount of money, etc.)
• All the children in the class are under the age of 14.
• We arrived in under an hour.
• You get all three items for under $10.
9 : hidden below (an outward appearance)
• Under that rough exterior, he is a kind and gentle man.
