adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌsʌbtəˈɹeɪniən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S AH0 B T ER0 EY1 N IY0 AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Below ground, under the earth, underground.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Secret, concealed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Someone or something that is subterranean.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed (especially being kept in the background or deliberately concealed)- Bertrand Russell
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
subterranean motives for murder
looked too closely for an ulterior purpose in all knowledge
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: subterraneous, ulterior
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
being or operating under the surface of the earth
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
subterranean passages
a subsurface flow of water
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: subterraneous
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Latin subterrāneus + -an. Compare subterrane and subterraneous.
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ընդերկրյա
(ənderkrya)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Armenian:
ստորգետնյա
(storgetnya)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Belarusian:
падзе́мны
(padzjémny)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Bulgarian:
подзе́мен
(podzémen)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Catalan:
subterrani
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Chinese Mandarin:
地底
(dìdǐ)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Chinese Mandarin:
地下
(dìxià)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Czech:
podzemní
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Danish:
underjordisk
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Dutch:
onderaards
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Finnish:
maanalainen
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
French:
souterrain
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Georgian:
მიწისქვეშა
(mic̣iskveša)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
German:
unterirdisch
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Greek:
υπόγειος
(ypógeios)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Ancient Greek:
ὑπόγειος
(hupógeios)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Ancient Greek:
χθόνιος
(khthónios)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Hebrew:
תַּת קַרְקָעִי
(tat-karka'í)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Hindi:
भूमिगत
(bhūmigat)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Hungarian:
föld alatti
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Ingrian:
maanalain
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Italian:
sotterraneo
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Japanese:
地下の
(chika no)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Kazakh:
жерастылық
(jerastylyq)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Latin:
subterrāneus
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Macedonian:
подземен
(podzemen)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Norwegian Bokmål:
underjordisk
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Old English:
eorþen
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Polish:
podziemny
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Portuguese:
subterrâneo
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Romanian:
subteran
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Russian:
подзе́мный
(podzémnyj)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Serbo-Croatian:
подземан
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Serbo-Croatian:
podzeman
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Slovak:
podzemný
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Slovene:
podzemen
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Spanish:
subterráneo
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Swedish:
underjordisk
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Ukrainian:
підзе́мний
(pidzémnyj)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Welsh:
tanddaearol
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground
Yiddish:
אונטערערדיש
(untererdish)
— below ground, under the earth — see also underground