undergird

verb

un·​der·​gird ˌən-dər-ˈgərd How to pronounce undergird (audio)
undergirded; undergirding; undergirds

transitive verb

1
archaic : to make secure underneath
took measures to undergird the shipActs 27:17 (Revised Standard Version)
2
: to form the basis or foundation of : strengthen, support
facts and statistics subtly undergird his commentarySusan Q. Stranahan

Did you know?

When undergird was a new word in the 16th century, it was ships that were undergirded—that is, made secure below—and the undergirding was done by passing a rope or chain underneath. That literal sense has long since fallen out of use, but in the 19th century undergird picked up the figurative “strengthen” or “support” meaning that we still use. Centuries before anything was undergirded, however, people and things could be girded—that is, encircled or bound with a flexible band, such as a belt. Girding today is more often about preparing oneself to fight or to do something difficult, as in “girding themselves for an ideological battle.” About as old as gird is the word’s close relation, girdle, which originally referred to an article of clothing that circles the body usually at the waist; the girdles of today address the same anatomical territory but with the squeezy aim of making the waist look thinner. Gird also gives us girder, a noun referring to a horizontal piece supporting a structure.

Examples of undergird in a Sentence

the theory of evolution undergirds virtually all of modern biology
Recent Examples on the Web The eastern half was dominated by a massive warehouse encircled by roads and parking spaces; undergirding the industrial space were two rows of single family residences. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2024 The roadblocks — both literal and digital — that prohibit Palestinians from receiving aid reveal what otherwise might go unnoticed: there’s a complex web of red tape and corporate interests that undergird the supposedly seamless digital transfers that happen online every day. Mia Sato, The Verge, 29 Feb. 2024 In the past, single-payer legislation has divided Democrats and ultimately withered because of concerns over cost, opposition from private insurers and the complex bureaucracy that undergirds the nation’s delivery of healthcare, writes reporter Anabel Sosa. Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Stock-market kingpin Nvidia may have seen its value skyrocket because of AI’s possibilities, but its revenues were undergirded by a massive base of game players acquiring its graphics cards. David Bloom, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 These steps were undergirded by a solid transatlantic relationship. Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2024 Zhao, who also went by CZ, was one of the poster boys for crypto’s freewheeling and rebellious spirit, which hearkens back to the origins of the technology, built to undergird a parallel financial system outside the control of any government or bank. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023 Still, American policymakers and experts have warned that Biden’s embrace of European allies masks a broader trend of increasing U.S. frustration with its central role undergirding Europe’s defense. Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2024 Large language models—the technology undergirding modern chatbots—allow users to interact with computers through natural conversation, an innovation that introduces some baggage from human-to-human exchanges. Albert Fox Cahn, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undergird.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of undergird was in 1526

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Dictionary Entries Near undergird

Cite this Entry

“Undergird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undergird. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

undergird

verb
un·​der·​gird ˌən-dər-ˈgərd How to pronounce undergird (audio)
: to make secure : brace up : strengthen
a life undergirded by religion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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