footing

[ foot-ing ]

noun

1. the basis or foundation on which anything is established.
2. the act of one who moves on foot, as in walking or dancing.
3. a secure and established position.
4. a place or support for the feet; foot; surface to stand on; foothold.
5. a firm placing of the feet; foot; stability:

   He regained his footing.

6. Building Trades, Civil Engineering. the part of a foundation bearing directly upon the earth.
7. position or status assigned to a person, group, etc., in estimation or treatment.
8. mutual standing; reciprocal relation:

   to be on a friendly footing with someone.

9. entrance into a new position or relationship:

   to gain a footing in society.

10. a fee demanded from a person upon entrance into a trade, society, etc.
11. the act of adding a foot to something, as to a stocking.
12. that which is added as a foot.
13. the act of adding up a column of figures.
14. the total of such a column.

footing

/ ˈfʊtɪŋ /

noun

1. the basis or foundation on which something is established

   the business was on a secure footing

2. the relationship or status existing between two persons, groups, etc

   the two countries were on a friendly footing

3. a secure grip by or for the feet
4. the lower part of a foundation of a column, wall, building, etc
5. 1. the act of adding a column of figures
   2. the total obtained
6. rare.
   a fee paid upon entrance into a craft, society, etc, or such an entrance itself

Word History and Origins

Origin of footing¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; foot, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Eric Fisher had inside leverage Drove Harrison up the field and his lost his footing.

From Washington Post

While Green acknowledges the extra gear he could stand to provide, head coach Steve Kerr believes the three-time champion is exactly where he needs to be as these new-look Warriors find their footing.

From FiveThirtyEight

Mortgage rates were flat this week as the economic recovery struggles to gain solid footing.

From Washington Post

Oil majors that were once the most powerful corporations in the world lost much of their footing in 2020, along with many billions of dollars.

From Washington Post

These are heady figures for an industry that gained its footing only 20 years ago.

From TechCrunch

President Obama pledged an estimated $175 million and sent more than 4,000 troops to help the region regain its footing.

From The Daily Beast

Before we get off the phone, Kent stumbles and stammers until finding her footing in a heartwarming anecdote.

From The Daily Beast

“You cannot put women and men on an equal footing,” Erdogan said, according to the Associated Press.

From The Daily Beast

Today was the only time all week that Xi shared a platform with another world leader in Beijing on an equal footing.

From The Daily Beast

Girma realized that law was her best tool to get equal footing for herself and the wider population of impaired Americans.

From The Daily Beast

He is a business man of great competence, and I think he ought to be able to do much to get things on to a ship-shape footing.

From Project Gutenberg

He was certain that Delhi would fall if once the British secured a footing inside the fortifications.

From Project Gutenberg

She never went there again; from the first she was acute enough to perceive that she could never get a footing in such society.

From Project Gutenberg

Margaret has been with you some time; has she not interfered, or tried to put things upon a right footing?

From Project Gutenberg

After all, it was not a social call, and if she did not dress it would put things on the right footing.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• foothold