beneath

B1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /bɪˈniːθ/ See IPA manual

Freq #3508

Meanings

1

prep
Under or below something.

The treasure was buried beneath the old tree.
2

adv
In or to a lower place; underneath.

She climbed the hill and looked at the valley beneath.
3

prep
Lower in rank or dignity than; not good enough for.

Their behaviour was beneath contempt.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 prep · under or below something. below under

2 adv · in or to a lower place;... below

Word family

Derived forms beneathness

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

There is nothing new under the sun
Matching variant: There is nothing new beneath the sun

Etymology

From Middle English benethe, from Old English bineoþan (“beneath, under, below”), equivalent to be- + neath. Cognate with Low German benedden (“beneath”), Dutch beneden (“beneath, under, down”), obsolete German benieden (“below”).

benethe Middle English bineoþan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# beneath

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** prep, adv
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈniːθ/
**Frequency rank:** 3508

## Meanings
1. Under or below something.
2. In or to a lower place; underneath.
3. Lower in rank or dignity than; not good enough for.

## Examples
- The treasure was buried beneath the old tree.
- She climbed the hill and looked at the valley beneath.
- Their behaviour was beneath contempt.

## Derived Forms
- beneathness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: benethe
- Root: bineoþan

## Etymology
From Middle English benethe, from Old English bineoþan (“beneath, under, below”), equivalent to be- + neath. Cognate with Low German benedden (“beneath”), Dutch beneden (“beneath, under, down”), obsolete German benieden (“below”).

## AI Etymology
Beneath comes from Middle English benethe, from Old English bineoþan (“beneath, under, below”), equivalent to be- + neath. Cognate with Low German benedden (“beneath”), Dutch beneden (“beneath, under, down”), obsolete German benieden (“below”).

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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