BharatNotes Underground
adjective, adverb, noun (and occasionally verb)Usage in a UPSC answer
When constitutional avenues for dissent are foreclosed, opposition rarely disappears; it merely goes underground, resurfacing as clandestine networks that are far harder for the state to monitor or accommodate.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
underground (n/adj/adv), undergrowth (n), undergroundly (adv, rare), go underground (v phrase)
Root
Old English under = beneath + grund = ground, foundation; political sense from early 19th c.
Etymology
From Old English under ("beneath") + grund ("ground, foundation"); the political sense of "secret, clandestine organisation" dates from the early 19th century, popularised by European resistance movements.
Memory Hook
"Under + ground" - literally beneath the soil; and just as roots hide under the ground, an underground movement hides its activities from view.
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