underlying process
noun phraseUK /ˌʌndəˈlaɪɪŋ ˈprəʊsɛs/
US /ˌʌndərˈlaɪɪŋ ˈprɑsɛs/
The hidden way something works that you cannot see right away.
The underlying process of how plants make food from sunlight is called photosynthesis.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The main steps in a computer program that make it do its job.
The underlying process of the app checks your spelling as you type.
3. The real reason something happens, even if it is not obvious.
The underlying process behind the team's success was months of quiet practice.
4. The natural steps by which something changes or develops over time.
Scientists study the underlying process of how rocks slowly break into soil.