basic

¹

[bey-sik]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental.

   a basic principle; the basic ingredient.

   Synonyms: underlying, basal, primary, key, essential, elementary

2. Chemistry.

   1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a base. bases.

   2. not having all of the hydroxyls of the base replaced by the acid group, or having the metal or its equivalent united partly to the acid group and partly to oxygen.

   3. alkaline.

3. Metallurgy.,  noting, pertaining to, or made by a steelmaking process basic process in which the furnace or converter is lined with a basic or nonsiliceous material, mainly burned magnesite and a small amount of ground basic slag, to remove impurities from the steel.

4. Geology.,  (of a rock) having relatively little silica.

5. Military.

   1. primary.

      basic training.

   2. of lowest rank.

      airman basic.

6. Slang.

   1. (especially of a female) characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior.

      those basic girls who follow trends.

   2. (of things) boringly predictable or unoriginal.

      His lyrics are just so basic.

noun

1. Military.

   1. basic training.

   2. a soldier or airman receiving basic training.

2. Often basics. something that is fundamental or basic; an essential ingredient, principle, procedure, etc..

   to learn the basics of music; to get back to basics.

3. Slang.,  a person, especially a female, who is boringly predictable or unoriginal.

BASIC

²

[bey-sik]

noun

Computers.

1. a widely adopted programming language that uses English words, punctuation marks, and algebraic notation to facilitate communication between the operator or lay user and the computer.

BASIC

¹

/ ˈbeɪsɪk /

noun

1. a computer programming language that uses common English terms

basic

²

/ ˈbeɪsɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or forming a base or basis; fundamental; underlying

2. elementary or simple

   a few basic facts

3. excluding additions or extras

   basic pay

4. chem

   1. of, denoting, or containing a base; alkaline

   2. (of a salt) containing hydroxyl or oxide groups not all of which have been replaced by an acid radical

      basic lead carbonate, 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2

5. metallurgy of, concerned with, or made by a process in which the furnace or converter is made of a basic material, such as magnesium oxide

6. (of such igneous rocks as basalt) containing between 52 and 45 per cent silica

7. military primary or initial

   basic training

noun

1. (usually plural) a fundamental principle, fact, etc

BASIC

1. A simple programming language developed in the 1960s that is widely taught to students as a first programming language.

Other Word Forms

• nonbasic adjective
• quasi-basic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of BASIC¹

First recorded in 1835–45; base ¹ + -ic

Origin of BASIC²

First recorded in 1965–70; B(eginner's) A(ll-purpose) S(ymbolic) I(nstruction) C(ode)

Word History and Origins

Origin of BASIC¹

C20: acronym of b ( eginner's ) a ( ll-purpose ) s ( ymbolic ) i ( nstruction ) c ( ode )

Example Sentences

“It really was all this basic research we did for decades that enabled this to happen and enabled us to have a vision ... to build this thing,” Martinis said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This basic formula has led to centuries of American prosperity.

Read more on MarketWatch

My hope is that AI will help them feel confident enough to build their own basic portfolio without an adviser and fees.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

He sang country music, which “serious” critics treat the same way they treat horror and comedy—as a lesser genre, entertaining but basic.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Comporting oneself at a golf tournament should be a matter of basic human decency, like holding a door, not spoiling a movie ending, and not asking a Mets fan how the baseball playoffs are going.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• elemental 
• essential 
• key 
• main 
• necessary 
• primary 
• primitive 
• underlying 
• vital 

When To Use

What else does basic mean?

In slang, basic characterizes someone or something as unoriginal, unexceptional, and mainstream. A basic girl—or basic b*tch as she is often insulted—is said to like pumpkin spice lattes, UGG boots, and taking lots of selfies, for instance.