bedrock

American  

[bed-rok] / ˈbɛdˌrɒk /

noun

1. Geology. unbroken solid rock, overlaid in most places by soil or rock fragments.

2. bottom layer; lowest stratum.

3. any firm foundation or basis.

   Technical courses will be founded on a bedrock of sound, general education so as to produce a well-rounded engineer.

4. the fundamental principles, as of a teaching, belief, or science.

   Let's strip away the cant and get down to bedrock.

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adjective

1. basic; fundamental.

bedrock British  

/ ˈbɛdˌrɒk /

noun

1. the solid unweathered rock that lies beneath the loose surface deposits of soil, alluvium, etc

2. basic principles or facts (esp in the phrase get down to bedrock )

3. the lowest point, level, or layer

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bedrock Scientific  

/ bĕd′rŏk′ /

1. The solid rock that lies beneath the soil and other loose material on the Earth's surface.

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Etymology

Origin of bedrock

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; bed + rock ¹

Explanation

Bedrock is the hard layer of rock beneath looser rocks and soil. In some places, the bedrock is exposed, while in others it lies deep underground. A geologist who's interested in studying the bedrock in different areas might have to dig through the various layers of soil to reach that bedrock. You can also use the word in a figurative way, to mean "the heart of the matter," or "the basic, fundamental principles." For example, you might say that fairness and freedom is the bedrock of a good government. The word combines bed — here meaning "plot of land" — and rock.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bedrock

There were multiple factors involved in that event, which was triggered when a large area of bedrock and glacier ice collapsed.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Using this technique, Perseverance has studied more than 185 bedrock targets across the Margin Unit.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

What galls me is the failure to identify one of the — certainly not the only — bedrock reasons some people go through life with little or no money: mismanagement.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026

Downing Street said fiscal discipline is the "bedrock" of Britain's economic stability and national security.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Maybe it’s because I’ve been emptied; or maybe it’s the body’s way of seeing to it that I remain alive, continue to repeat its bedrock prayer: I am, I am.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood