Adjacent Words

Basis definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BA'SIS, n. plu.bases. [L.and Gr.; the same as base, which see.]
1. The foundation of any thing; that on which a thing stands or lies; the bottom or foot of the thing itself, or that on which it rests. See a full explanation under base.
2. The ground work or first principle; that which supports.
3. Foundation; support.
The basis of public credit is good faith.
The basis of all excellence is truth.
4. Basis, in chimistry. See Base. No. 12.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a relation that provides the foundation for something; "they were on a friendly footing"; "he worked on an interim basis" [syn: footing, basis, ground]
2: the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained; "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture" [syn: basis, base, foundation, fundament, groundwork, cornerstone]
3: the most important or necessary part of something; "the basis of this drink is orange juice" [syn: basis, base]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural bases) Etymology: Latin — more at base Date: 14th century 1. the bottom of something considered as its foundation 2. the principal component of something 3. a. something on which something else is established or based b. an underlying condition or state of affairs <hired on a trial basis> <on a first-name basis> 4. the basic principle 5. a set of linearly independent vectors in a vector space such that any vector in the vector space can be expressed as a linear combination of them with appropriately chosen coefficients

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. bases) 1 the foundation or support of something, esp. an idea or argument. 2 the main or determining principle or ingredient (on a purely friendly basis). 3 the starting-point for a discussion etc. Etymology: L f. Gk, = BASE(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Basis Ba"sis, n.; pl. Bases. [L. basis, Gr. ?. See Base, n.] 1. The foundation of anything; that on which a thing rests. --Dryden. 2. The pedestal of a column, pillar, or statue. [Obs.] If no basis bear my rising name. --Pope.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(bases) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If something is done on a particular basis, it is done according to that method, system, or principle. We're going to be meeting there on a regular basis... They want all groups to be treated on an equal basis... I've always worked on the basis that if I don't know anything technical I shan't be any worse off. N-SING: with supp, usu on N 2. If you say that you are acting on the basis of something, you are giving that as the reason for your action. McGregor must remain confined, on the basis of the medical reports we have received... N-SING: on N, oft N of n, N that 3. The basis of something is its starting point or an important part of it from which it can be further developed. Both factions have broadly agreed that the UN plan is a possible basis for negotiation. ...the sub-atomic particles that form the basis of nearly all matter on earth. = foundation N-COUNT: usu sing, usu N for/of n 4. The basis for something is a fact or argument that you can use to prove or justify it. ...Japan's attempt to secure the legal basis to send troops overseas... This is a common fallacy which has no basis in fact. N-COUNT: usu sing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Base, foundation, ground, groundwork, lowest part.

Moby Thesaurus

Anschauung, a priori principle, affirmation, ambition, angle, angle of vision, antecedents, apriorism, aspiration, assertion, assumed position, assumption, axiom, base, basement, bearing wall, bed, bedding, bedrock, bottom, burden, call, calling, case, categorical proposition, causation, cause, cause and effect, chapter, concern, consideration, data, determinant, determinative, element, essence, etiology, eye, factor, first principles, floor, flooring, focus of attention, focus of interest, fond, footing, foundation, frame of reference, framework, fundament, fundamental, gist, goal, good reason, ground, grounds, groundwork, guiding light, guiding star, hardpan, head, heading, heart, hypothesis, hypothesis ad hoc, ideal, infrastructure, inspiration, intention, issue, justification, law, lemma, light, line of departure, living issue, lodestar, main point, mainspring, major premise, material basis, matter, matter in hand, meat, mental outlook, minor premise, motif, motive, occasion, outlook, pavement, philosopheme, philosophical proposition, place, point, point at issue, point in question, point of departure, point of view, port of embarkation, position, postulate, postulation, postulatum, premise, presumption, presupposition, principle, problem, proposition, propositional function, question, radical, reason, reference system, regard, respect, rest, right, riprap, rock bottom, root, rubric, rudiment, sake, score, seat, side, sight, sill, situation, slant, solid ground, solid rock, source, spring, stand, standpoint, start, starting gate, starting place, starting point, starting post, statement, stereobate, stimulus, stylobate, subject, subject matter, subject of thought, substance, substratum, substruction, substructure, sumption, supposal, system, takeoff, terra firma, text, theme, theorem, thesis, topic, truth table, truth-function, truth-value, ulterior motive, underbuilding, undercarriage, undergirding, underpinning, understruction, understructure, universe, view, viewpoint, vocation, warrant