First recorded in 1925–30
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No pidgin English, Basic can be used to express ideas, as Ogden proves by writing its 100-page system in Basic English.
From Time Magazine Archive
In far from Basic English, Winston Churchill gave Basic another boost,* this time in the House of Commons.
From Time Magazine Archive
Translation into Basic English sometimes results in a stilted foreignness.
From Time Magazine Archive
In his spare time Littlewood prepared a primer based on the study of Russian, Latin, Greek, French, Welsh, Arabic and Basic English.
From Time Magazine Archive
You say the letter accompanying the first deposit, the one in Basic English, was apparently taken away by Kettle-Belly Sam Bonney.
From Lone Star Planet by Piper, H. Beam
In terms of his adaptation, Estevao already speaks basic English, has his family around him in London and has begun driving to and from training.
From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025
He speaks basic English and has considered going to Canada, but friends told him it’s difficult as well to obtain asylum there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2025
The training included technical language training, as the usual basic English level was insufficient, he said.
From Reuters ● Aug. 19, 2023
According to pretty basic English usage, this isn’t hard: When an innocent person can’t contest the “legality” of their illegal sentence, they face a process that is “inadequate or ineffective.”
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2023
NM: Word list of basic English, updating of all tables & census material. © 12Sep44; A182825.
From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1971 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office
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.
