1ADJ [ADJ n]潜在的;隐藏的;深层的;根本的 The underlying features of an object, event, or situation are not obvious, and it may be difficult to discover or reveal them. 潜在的;隐藏的;深层的;根本的
To stop a problem you have to understand its underlying causes.
要想杜绝问题的发生,必须弄清它的深层原因。
I think that the underlying problem is education, unemployment and bad housing.