What does "basilar" mean?

Of, pertaining to, or located at a base, but especially at the base of the skull or an organ of Corti.

What is a synonym for "basilar"?

Common synonyms include: basal, basal, basic, basilary, elemental, elementary.

Basilar

//ˈbas.ɪl.ə// adj

adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1
Of, pertaining to, or located at a base, but especially at the base of the skull or an organ of Corti. not-comparable, relational
2
Lower, inferior, base. not-comparable
"[…] that which he has in common with the lion, the cow and the horse—namely, the basilar instincts and appetites that in the animal creation constitute the whole."

Adjective

1
of or relating to or located at the base wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

basal basal basic basilary elemental elementary

Example

More examples

"[…] that which he has in common with the lion, the cow and the horse—namely, the basilar instincts and appetites that in the animal creation constitute the whole."

Etymology

Borrowing from New Latin basilāris, irregularly from basis (“a pedestal, foot, base”) + -āris (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix); or from French basilaire, from base (“base, basis”) + -aire (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix), in the pattern of cimbalaire (“cymbal-shaped”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.