What does "basis" mean?
A physical base or foundation.
Basis
/ˈbeɪ.sɪs/ noun
noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A physical base or foundation.
- Grammar: basis is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: base, foundation, groundwork, support.
- Useful contrasts: no ground, conclusion, dependent set.
- Usage evidence: It is important to strengthen the basis.
How to use "basis"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "basis" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "basis" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "basis" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "basis" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "basis" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "base" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "basis", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A physical base or foundation.
"1695, William Congreve, To the King, on the taking of Namur, 1810, Samuel Johnson, Alexander Chalmers (biographies), The Works of the English Poets from Chaucer to Cowper, Volume 10, page 271, Beholding rocks from their firm basis rent; Mountain on mountain thrown, With threatening hurl, that shook th' aerial firmament!"
- 2 the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained wordnet
- 3 A starting point, base or foundation for an argument or hypothesis.
"I wonder if the South Korean side has any basis that its smog is from China."
- 4 a relation that provides the foundation for something wordnet
- 5 An underlying condition or circumstance.
"Hodgson may now have to bring in James Milner on the left and, on that basis, a certain amount of gloss was taken off a night on which Welbeck scored twice but barely celebrated either before leaving the pitch angrily complaining to the Slovakian referee."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 the most important or necessary part of something wordnet
- 7 A regular frequency.
"You should brush your teeth on a daily basis at minimum."
- 8 The difference between the cash price a dealer pays to a farmer for his produce and an agreed reference price, which is usually the futures price at which the given crop is trading at a commodity exchange.
"Included in the basis could be elevation, cleaning, freight by truck and/or rail, government inspection fees, administration fees, interest and storage charges as well as allowance for risk and profit for the grain dealer."
- 9 In a vector space, a linearly independent set of vectors spanning the whole vector space.
- 10 Amount paid for an investment, including commissions and other expenses.
- 11 A collection of subsets ("basis elements") of a set, such that this collection covers the set, and for any two basis elements which both contain an element of the set, there is a third basis element contained in the intersection of the first two, which also contains that element.
"The collection of all possible unions of basis elements of a basis is said to be the topology generated by that basis."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"It is important to strengthen the basis."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "basis"?
Common synonyms include: base, foundation, groundwork, support, a priori principle, actuality.
How do you use "basis" in a sentence?
It is important to strengthen the basis.
How do you pronounce "basis"?
Pronounced /ˈbeɪ.sɪs/.
Etymology
From Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷémtis, derived from Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- (whence also come). Doublet of base.