basic

[bey-sik]

See more synonyms for basic on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental: a basic principle; the basic ingredient.
Chemistry.
1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a base.
2. not having all of the hydroxyls of the base replaced by the acid group, or having the metal or its equivalent united partly to the acid group and partly to oxygen.
3. alkaline.
Metallurgy. noting, pertaining to, or made by a steelmaking process (basic process) in which the furnace or converter is lined with a basic or nonsiliceous material, mainly burned magnesite and a small amount of ground basic slag, to remove impurities from the steel.Compare acid(def 9).

Geology. (of a rock) having relatively little silica.
Military.
1. primary: basic training.
2. of lowest rank: airman basic.
Slang.
1. (especially of a female) characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior: those basic girls who follow trends.
2. (of things) boringly predictable or unoriginal: His lyrics are just so basic.

noun

Military.
1. basic training.
2. a soldier or airman receiving basic training.
Often basics. something that is fundamental or basic; an essential ingredient, principle, procedure, etc.: to learn the basics of music; to get back to basics.
Slang. a person, especially a female, who is boringly predictable or unoriginal.

Origin of basic

First recorded in 1835–45; base¹ + -ic

Related formsnon·ba·sic, adjectivequa·si-ba·sic, adjective

Can be confusedbasic BASIC

Synonyms for basic

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. elementary, essential, key, primary; basal; underlying.

BASIC

[bey-sik]

noun Computers.

a widely adopted programming language that uses English words, punctuation marks, and algebraic notation to facilitate communication between the operator or lay user and the computer.

Origin of BASIC

1965–70; B(eginner's) A(ll-purpose) S(ymbolic) I(nstruction) C(ode)

Can be confusedbasic BASIC

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for basics

foundation, nitty-gritty, principles, elements

Examples from the Web for basics

Contemporary Examples of basics

The men use the dolls to practice the basics of caring for babies.
How Good Dads Can Change the World
Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman
January 6, 2015
Despite the obvious ongoing problems with disease and access to basics, the future of Africa is bright.
Silicon Valley Sets Its Sights on Africa
Christian Borys
December 22, 2014
The Spire, like most fountains, has the basics -- Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Brisk Iced Tea and SoBe Lifewater.
Font of Invention
September 18, 2014
It may be time to kick these new age diet fads and get back to basics.
Helen Mirren Trains Like the Air Force; Kendall Jenner Denied Kim Kardashian at Her Shows
The Fashion Beast Team
July 29, 2014
But the new one has just got all the basics, the solid foundation, it stays afloat.
Can Linda Perry Save Music?
Kevin Fallon
July 16, 2014

Historical Examples of basics

But they either can't, or won't, take the time to learn the basics of the field they want to excel in.
By Proxy
Gordon Randall Garrett
Production of the basics had become so profuse that poverty in the old sense of the word had become nonsensical.
Mercenary
Dallas McCord Reynolds
We must keep that edge, and to do so we need to begin renewing the basics--starting with our educational system.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various
All skills begin with the basics of reading and math, which are supposed to be learned in the early grades of our schools.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various
This nation will not go back to the days of simply shuffling children along from grade to grade without them learning the basics.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various

British Dictionary definitions for basics

basic

adjective

of, relating to, or forming a base or basis; fundamental; underlying
elementary or simplea few basic facts
excluding additions or extrasbasic pay
chem
1. of, denoting, or containing a base; alkaline
2. (of a salt) containing hydroxyl or oxide groups not all of which have been replaced by an acid radicalbasic lead carbonate, 2PbCO 3 .Pb ( OH ) 2
metallurgy of, concerned with, or made by a process in which the furnace or converter is made of a basic material, such as magnesium oxide
(of such igneous rocks as basalt) containing between 52 and 45 per cent silica
military primary or initialbasic training

noun

(usually plural) a fundamental principle, fact, etc

BASIC

Basic

noun

a computer programming language that uses common English terms

Word Origin for BASIC

C20: acronym of b (eginner's) a (ll-purpose) s (ymbolic) i (nstruction) c (ode)

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

Word Origin and History for basics

"rudiments or fundamentals of anything," by 1934, from basic. Also see -ics. Phrase back-to-basics was in use by 1975.

basic

adj.

1832, originally in chemistry, from base (n.) + -ic.

BASIC

computer language, 1964, initialism for Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code; invented by Hungarian-born U.S. computer scientist John G. Kemeny (1926-1992) and U.S. computer scientist Thomas E. Kurtz (b.1928).

basics in Medicine