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

It provides an unprecedented basis for ecological modeling, conservation prioritization, and cross-regional research on vulnerable island ecosystems.

Read more on Science Daily

"You have to prosecute people on the basis of the circumstances at the time of the alleged offence," the prime minister told reporters in India this week.

Read more on BBC

But Swinney told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show that the prime minister's position was "fatuous" due to the "clearly established basis" set out after the SNP's historic win 14 years ago.

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Confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels occur frequently in the contested waterway, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Read more on Barron's

But economics is not the only basis on which name-change decisions have been made.

Read more on BBC

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.