Simple
Simple adjective - Free from all additions or embellishment.
Underlying and simple are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Underlying" instead an adjective "Simple".
Underlying
Underlying adjective - Of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject.
Usage example: the underlying differences between democracy and dictatorship
Simple and underlying are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Simple" instead an adjective "Underlying".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- For example, it can be anything from a simple case of the writer making incorrect assumptions about a character's psychology, to warping the underlying psychology to suit the plot.
Source: Series / Waking the Dead - Fire his space fortess's Wave Motion Gun, saying that a simple duel won't resolve the underlying causes of the war (for the record, it misses - but only because of external intervention).
- For example, the underlying theory behind an electric motor is quite advanced, but the actual product is a series of simple coils of wires and magnets.
Source: Magic from Technology
Cite this Source
Underlying and Simple. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/simple/underlying
Simple & Underlying. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/simple/underlying>.
Underlying or Simple. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/simple/underlying.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "simple" and "underlying" have occurred on timeline