basement

American  

[beys-muhnt] / ˈbeɪs mənt /

noun

1. a story of a building, partly or wholly underground.

2. (in classical and Renaissance architecture) the portion of a building beneath the principal story, treated as a single compositional unit.

3. the lowermost portion of a structure.

4. the substructure of a columnar or arched construction.

---

basement British  

/ ˈbeɪsmənt /

noun

1. 1. a partly or wholly underground storey of a building, esp the one immediately below the main floor Compare cellar

   2. ( as modifier )

      a basement flat

2. the foundation or substructure of a wall or building

3. geology a part of the earth's crust formed of hard igneous or metamorphic rock that lies beneath the cover of soft sedimentary rock, sediment, and soil

---

Etymology

Origin of basement

First recorded in 1720–30; base ¹ + -ment

Explanation

A basement is a room that's below ground level, underneath the first floor. You might have a laundry room with a washer and dryer in your basement. Some basements are partially under the level of the street, while others are completely below ground. Many, though not all, houses and larger buildings have basements. Some basements are "finished," with carpeting and solid ceilings and walls, but more often they're very basic rooms used for storage. The word dates from 1730, most likely from the Italian basamento, "column base."

Example Sentences

Appeared in the December 9, 2025, print edition as 'Memories Accumulate in the Basement'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025

Imagine the possibilities if someone were to give us this Carrie Bradshaw — the ultimate era edition, who isn’t waiting for Country Lurch or trying to be swept away by Basement Heathcliff.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

The BBC said it was "transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films".

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2025

I loved his last album, ”From a Basement on the Hill,” which was so dark and heavy, and I love Heatmiser.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025

I'll meet you in Aech's Basement as soon as I can.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• cellar
• storage
• vault