basis
Americannoun
plural
bases-
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.
noun
-
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 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
plural
basesUsage
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.
Related Words
See base 1.
Etymology
Origin of basis
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The carrying of the cross was performed by John Paul II during the first part of his long pontificate, which lasted from 1978 to 2005, and then by Benedict XVI on a more limited basis.
From Barron's
The index broke past 100 this month, a significant level given the last time it breached 100 on a intraday and closing basis was back in November.
From Barron's
The index broke past 100 this month, a significant level given the last time it breached 100 on a intraday and closing basis was back in November.
From Barron's
They found him not guilty in relation to the second adult dog, Beauty, on the basis that she was owned by his girlfriend.
From BBC
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday: "We allowed this ship to reach Cuba in order to provide humanitarian needs to the Cuban people. These decisions are being made on a case-by-case basis."
From BBC
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.
