basis
Americannoun
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the bottom or base of anything; the part on which something stands or rests.
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anything upon which something is based; fundamental principle; groundwork.
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the principal constituent; fundamental ingredient.
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a basic fact, amount, standard, etc., used in making computations, reaching conclusions, or the like.
The nurse is paid on an hourly basis. He was chosen on the basis of his college grades.
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Mathematics. a set of linearly independent elements of a given vector space having the property that every element of the space can be written as a linear combination of the elements of the set.
noun
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something that underlies, supports, or is essential to something else, esp an abstract idea
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a principle on which something depends or from which something has issued
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maths (of a vector space) a maximal set of linearly independent vectors, in terms of which all the elements of the space are uniquely expressible, and the number of which is the dimension of the space
the vectors x, y and z form a basis of the 3-dimensional space all members of which can be written as ax + by + cz
Usage
Plural word for basis The plural form of basis is bases, pronounced [ bey-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -is are also formed in this way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, crisis/crises, and axis/axes. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices. Irregular plurals that are formed like bases derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek.
Synonym Usage
See base 1.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of basis
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin, from Greek básis “step, place one stands on, pedestal,” from ba(ínein) “to walk, step” ( see also come) + -sis -sis; cf. base 1
Explanation
Basis is the underlying reason or assumption. The basis of a dictionary is that people are curious to learn the meanings of new words. You are interested, right? Basis can also apply to a system or pattern that has been established. For example: Since your job is so exhausting, you need vacations on a regular basis. The basis of democracy is regular free elections. Not surprisingly, as its sense of something from which other things spring, basis comes from the Latin word of the same spelling meaning "foundation."
Vocabulary lists containing basis
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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Words for Cheese Writers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The company said order intake fell 1% in the second quarter on a comparable basis after some large orders in North America shifted to the third quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Half-year sales dipped three percent to 7.2 billion euros on a reported basis but once currency exchange rates and changes to the business are stripped out they edged one percent higher.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Under-21 manager Silvio Baldini had taken over on a temporary basis following Gattuso's departure.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
As investors consider a potential acquisition of PayPal Holdings, the company is offering an update on how it’s been performing on a stand-alone basis.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Goron couldn’t simply arrest him and measure him on the basis of an outlandish theory.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
“There are no American bases in Jordan. We have American troops that are in Jordan as part of our long-standing military cooperation,” he said at the Aspen Security Forum earlier this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Satellite imagery of those bases from 2019 onward show significant construction and an increasing presence of U.S. assets, including F-16s, F-18s, drones and helicopters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
In the past week, special-operations forces have deployed to the region from their U.S. bases, according to flight-tracking data and U.S. officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Fury, who bases his training camps in Thailand, appeared relaxed and in good spirits.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Truman also delivered a sterner warning to Stalin: The president sent a fleet of B-29 bombers to bases in England, the same type of aircraft that had dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
