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Beneath

Beneath is a preposition or an adverb.

Beneath: meaning and use​

Beneath means ‘at a lower level than’.

Beneath is most common in formal writing. We don’t use it often in informal speaking. In speaking, under and below are much more common.

See also
  • Below
  • Under

Beneath as a preposition​

We use beneath most commonly to describe the position of things which are at a lower level than something else:

  • Archaeologists discovered a gold cup just beneath the surface at the site of a Roman villa.
  • The metro station is right beneath the airport.

Beneath is particularly common when talking about the ground or surface directly under one’s feet:

  • She could feel the train coming because the ground beneath her feet was moving.

Beneath as an adverb​

Beneath as an adverb isn’t very common and we mostly use it in formal writing:

  • She looked down from the balcony at the two men talking beneath.
  • In the kitchen there was a modern sink with cupboards and drawers beneath.

Beneath, under or below?​

Beneath has a meaning similar to under and below but we do not use it with numbers:

  • We bought it for just under 200 pounds.
  • Not: … for just beneath 200 pounds.
  • The temperature was below zero all that week.
  • Not: The temperature was beneath …

We use beneath, not under, to talk about things which are at a lower level in terms of a person’s abilities, status or expectations. We often use beneath not under when someone feels that they are too important or too intelligent to do something:

  • [A student is commenting on a language course]
  • The writing and grammar courses were good but maybe a bit beneath my expectations.
  • Not: … maybe a bit under my expectations.