grounding

American  

[groun-ding] / ˈgraʊn dɪŋ /

noun

1. knowledge of or instruction in the basic principles of a subject.

   You'll need a thorough grounding in linguistics to understand the lecture.

2. Aeronautics. the act of restricting an aircraft to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc..

   The grounding of the aircraft due to fog meant the passengers were stranded.

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adjective

1. giving or relating to a feeling of being mentally or emotionally balanced due to a peaceful, practical, or realistic outlook.

   Her down-to-earth point of view made her a grounding presence in their lives.

2. Electricity. being or relating to a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.

   Check that all grounding wires are intact before beginning further repairs.

grounding British  

/ ˈɡraʊndɪŋ /

noun

1. a basic knowledge of or training in a subject

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Etymology

Origin of grounding

First recorded in 1640–50; ground ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The "Laudato Si" encyclical, which denounced mankind's ruthless exploitation of the environment, was hailed by experts for its scientific grounding.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Are they not joyful or grounding enough to be worthy of enjoyment?

From Salon • May 17, 2026

Even when I was resentful of being like, “I’m booked, and I can’t do this other thing that I want to do,” the show was so grounding.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Slaughter says growing up in apartheid South Africa gave him "a real grounding in what politics is and what power is about".

From BBC • May 10, 2026

She kept grounding the ball into the net.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Related Words

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