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basis

[ bey-sis ]
/ ˈbeɪ sɪs /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR basis ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ba·ses [bey-seez] /ˈbeɪ siz/.

the bottom or base of anything; the part on which something stands or rests.
anything upon which something is based; fundamental principle; groundwork.
the principal constituent; fundamental ingredient.
a basic fact, amount, standard, etc., used in making computations, reaching conclusions, or the like: The nurse is paid on an hourly basis. He was chosen on the basis of his college grades.
Mathematics. a set of linearly independent elements of a given vector space having the property that every element of the space can be written as a linear combination of the elements of the set.

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RELATED WORDS

support, footing, base, ground, justification, theory, fundamental, evidence, reason, assumption, principle, premise, essential, security, explanation, proof, bottom, groundwork, bed, seat

Nearby words

  1. basing point,
  2. basingstoke,
  3. basion,
  4. basipetal,
  5. basiphobia,
  6. basis of articulation,
  7. basis point,
  8. basis weight,
  9. basisphenoid,
  10. basivertebral vein

Origin of basis

1525–35; < Latin < Greek básis step, place one stands on, pedestal, equivalent to ba-, base of baínein to walk, step (akin to come) + -sis -sis; cf. base1

Synonym study

1, 2. See base1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for basis

British Dictionary definitions for basis

basis

/ (ˈbeɪsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-siːz)

something that underlies, supports, or is essential to something else, esp an abstract idea
a principle on which something depends or from which something has issued
maths (of a vector space) a maximal set of linearly independent vectors, in terms of which all the elements of the space are uniquely expressible, and the number of which is the dimension of the spacethe vectors x, y and z form a basis of the 3-dimensional space all members of which can be written as a x + b y + c z

Word Origin for basis

C14: via Latin from Greek: step, from bainein to step, go
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 basis

basis

n.

1570s, "bottom or foundation (of something material)," from Latin basis "foundation," from Greek basis "a step, stand, base, that whereon one stands," from bainein "go, step" (see come). Transferred and figurative senses (of immaterial things) are from c.1600.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for basis

basis

[ bā′sĭs ]

n. pl. ba•ses (-sēz′)

The foundation upon which something, such as an anatomical part, rests.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for basis

basis

[ bā′sĭs ]

Plural bases (bā′sēz′)

A set of independent vectors whose linear combinations define a vector space, such as a reference frame used to establish a coordinate system.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with basis

basis

see on a first-name basis.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.