under

un|der

W1S1 [ˈʌndə US -ər] prep, adv

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1¦(below)¦

2¦(less than)¦

3¦(having something done to it)¦

4¦(affected by something)¦

5 under ... conditions/circumstances

6¦(law/agreement)¦

7¦(in power)¦

8¦(position at work)¦

9¦(where information is)¦

10¦(different name)¦

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[: Old English;]

1.) ¦(BELOW)¦

below or at a lower level than something, or covered by something

≠ ↑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

≠ ↑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 twelve 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 10 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.

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WORD CHOICE: under, underneath, below, beneath

Under is the usual way to say that one thing is at a lower level than another, or is covered by it : Your shoes are under the table. |He lay under a blanket.

Under is nearly always used as a preposition (followed by a noun).

Underneath has a similar meaning to under , and is used especially when something is hidden or covered : a box underneath the floorboards

It can also be used as an adverb : She lifted the cover and peeped underneath.

Below is used when one thing is at a much lower level than another, and can be a preposition or an adverb : the apartment below ours |Mist lay in the valley below.

Beneath can be used in the same ways as under and below , but is a more literary or formal word : beneath the silvery moon | the cliff, and the ocean beneath

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