grounding
Americannoun
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knowledge of or instruction in the basic principles of a subject.
You'll need a thorough grounding in linguistics to understand the lecture.
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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.
adjective
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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.
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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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of grounding
First recorded in 1640–50; ground 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
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.
But a pro-human worldview—the philosophical grounding to aim those opportunities at the moral end of human flourishing—won’t emerge spontaneously.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The Constitutional Court, however, threw out on June 17 an earlier bid to challenge the amendment bill, saying it had no legal grounding.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Fortuitously, I was there to meet with multidisciplinary artist Stephanie Shih, whose photo-based compositions have the opposite effect, grounding the viewer in their personhood and experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
“This direct, real-time access to the information and human discourse on X enhances Grok’s truth-seeking capabilities by grounding outputs in up-to-date knowledge and diverse viewpoints,” the prospectus says.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
He uncoils the grounding wires, raises the aerials, and switches them on.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
