basis

[bey-sis]

noun

plural

bases 

1. the bottom or base of anything; the part on which something stands or rests.

2. anything upon which something is based; fundamental principle; groundwork.

3. the principal constituent; fundamental ingredient.

4. 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.

5. 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.

basis

/ ˈbeɪsɪs /

noun

1. something that underlies, supports, or is essential to something else, esp an abstract idea

2. a principle on which something depends or from which something has issued

3. 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 space

   the vectors x, y and z form a basis of the 3-dimensional space all members of which can be written as ax + by + cz

basis

plural

bases 

1. A set of independent vectors whose linear combinations define a vector space, such as a reference frame used to establish a coordinate system.

Word History and Origins

Origin of basis¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin, from Greek básis “step, place one stands on, pedestal,” from ba(ínein) “to walk, step” ( come ) + -sis -sis; base ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of basis¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

see on a first-name basis.

Synonym Study

See base ¹.

Example Sentences

There is some fundamental basis for their recent gains.

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The widely followed yield has slipped below 4% on an intraday basis for four straight sessions, raising questions about where it could go from here.

Read more on MarketWatch

Within a month of becoming deputy first minister, she announced that the SNP was positioned "in between" Labour and the Conservatives on licensing, and that applications should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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Investors anticipate that a weak labor market will lead the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 25 basis points in both October and December, with further reductions to come in 2026.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Remarks from central bankers this week reiterated more rate cuts are coming, and futures markets have priced in 50 basis points of rate reductions this year.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• assumption 
• base 
• essential 
• evidence 
• explanation 
• footing 
• fundamental 
• justification 
• premise 
• principle 
• proof 
• reason 
• security 
• support 
• theory 

When To Use

Plural word for basis

The plural form of basis is bases, pronounced [ bey-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -is are also formed in this way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, crisis/crises, and axis/axes. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices.Irregular plurals that are formed like bases derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek.