Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

base period

American  

noun

  1. a period of time used as a standard of comparison in measuring changes in prices, taxes, income, etc., at other periods of time.


base period British  

noun

  1. statistics a neutral period used as a standard for comparison in constructing an index to express a variable factor: 100 is usually taken as the index number for the variable in the base period

"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

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:

Notably, Bending Spoons included customers who were nonpaying during the year-earlier base period.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The Bureau’s consumer price index average for all items shows that over the past 50 years, the years 1982-84 provide the base period for $100.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 4, 2017

Currently, CBP awarded the base period quantity for a portion of the $145 million total contract amount, to be implemented over one year, Elbit said on Sunday.

From Reuters ● Mar. 2, 2014

Known as the Integrated Fixed Tower contract, it includes a base period quantity and options that CBP may exercise over several years.

From Reuters ● Mar. 2, 2014

Parity," one- said, "means a price for the farmer's product which will give it an exchange value, for things the farmer needs to buy, equivalent to that in a specified base period.

From Time Magazine Archive

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

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

Start training