Unterliegen

Unterliegen is a German verb with several related senses centered on being subject to or controlled by an authority, rule, or condition, and in some contexts also meaning to yield or be defeated in a contest. The core idea is subordination or submission to something outside oneself, whether legal, administrative, or competitive.

Grammatically, unterliegen is intransitive and governs the dative. Common constructions include being subject to a rule or law (unterliegen dem Gesetz), being under the supervision of an authority (unterliegen der Aufsicht), or losing in a competition (unterliegen dem Gegner). Typical examples: Der Beschluss unterliegt dem Bundesrecht; Die Mannschaft unterliegt dem Gegner; Die Entscheidung unterliegt dem Rechtsweg. In many formal contexts it denotes a status of being governed by a rule or decision rather than an active action by the subject.

Etymology and related terms: The verb combines unter- (under) and liegen (to lie), reflecting a literal sense of lying under or being under someone’s jurisdiction. A closely related word is unterlegen, an adjective or predicate meaning inferior to or outmatched, as in Jemand ist dem Gegner unterlegen. Another related concept is Unterordnung, the noun for subordination or subjection, used in legal, administrative, or organizational contexts.

Usage notes: Unterliegen is commonly found in legal, administrative, and formal styles, as well as in sports or competitive contexts when describing losses. It contrasts with opposites such as sich widersetzen or unabhängig sein and with übernehmen or durchsetzen in contexts of assertion rather than subjection.