Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

base level

American  

noun

Geology.
  1. the lowest level to which running water can erode the land.


base level British  

noun

  1. the lowest level to which a land surface can be eroded by streams, which is, ultimately, sea level

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of base level

First recorded in 1870–75


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:

More recently, in 2024-25, the core amount of the grant, without extras for building, was about £52m - significantly lower than what will become the new base level of funding from next year.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

"That was the idea: to create confusion and generate skepticism at the base level by distorting certain elements of real things."

From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026

“Boiled down to the base level, yeah, you kick a ball through the pipes,” said Dicker, 25, whose team plays host Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025

On a base level, these two friends make mistakes and are there to help each other clean them up; Helen and Sam just happen to be spies, too.

From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2024

But it’s whispers mostly, bits of rumor from the staff here who aren’t military, the ones who feel twinges of guilt that make them feign not a friendliness but a base level of civility.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training