Beneath: Formal, often used in literature; suggests something is hidden or covered. Underneath: Emphasizes being hidden or covered, more casual than “beneath.” beneath meaning, definition, what is beneath: in or to a lower position than something...: Learn more. The meaning of BENEATH is in or to a lower position : below. How to use beneath in a sentence. Beneath definition: Underneath.Origin of Beneath From Middle English benethe, from Old English beneoþan (“beneath, under, below”), from Proto-Germanic "bī-niþana (“below”), from Proto-Indo-European "ni-, "nei- (“in, under”). Cognate with Low German benedden (“beneath”), Dutch beneden (“beneath, under, down”), German benieden (“below”). Compare also Danish neden (“below”), Swedish and Icelandic nedan (“below, under”). See also nether. From Wiktionary Middle ...