basement

American  

[bays-muhnt] / ˈbeɪs mənt /

noun

• basements
  plural

1. a story of a building, partly or wholly underground.

2. (in classical and Renaissance architecture) the portion of a building beneath the principal story, treated as a single compositional unit.

3. the lowermost portion of a structure.

4. the substructure of a columnar or arched construction.

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basement British  

/ ˈbeɪsmənt /

noun

1. 1. a partly or wholly underground storey of a building, esp the one immediately below the main floor Compare cellar

   2. ( as modifier )

      a basement flat

2. the foundation or substructure of a wall or building

3. geology a part of the earth's crust formed of hard igneous or metamorphic rock that lies beneath the cover of soft sedimentary rock, sediment, and soil

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• basements
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of basement

First recorded in 1720–30; base ¹ + -ment

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Explanation

A basement is a room that's below ground level, underneath the first floor. You might have a laundry room with a washer and dryer in your basement. Some basements are partially under the level of the street, while others are completely below ground. Many, though not all, houses and larger buildings have basements. Some basements are "finished," with carpeting and solid ceilings and walls, but more often they're very basic rooms used for storage. The word dates from 1730, most likely from the Italian basamento, "column base."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

basement basements

On her podcast, she recalled that the house initially had a dirt basement.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

Much of what happens in the basement tends toward melodrama and feels especially far-fetched — it’s the horror movie component.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

I’d like to report that these ideas about women’s domestic responsibilities have since retired to the church basement, alongside the folding chairs and industrial coffee urns.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

"There were some businesses in the basement, and workers who were busy building," said local resident Abdi Aziz, 25.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

I want to tell her that Dad is completely wrecked and Camille lost her internship and Andre is working at a grocery store and we’re all living in a basement.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

“Black artists had only shown in libraries, church basements and other community spaces,” Hanson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

Playing defense For homes with basements, automated sump pumps are essential.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Larger homes, attics, basements, garages and spare bedrooms reduce the urgency to make choices.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

It ushered in a new kind of fun that was fresher, busier and airier than past listservs and chatrooms, the dank basements of internet interaction.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

If left alone, the groundwater would continue to flow toward the sea, carrying radioactive isotopes from the reactors with it, so workers pumped hundreds of gallons of water from the reactor basements every day.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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Related Words

• cellar
• storage
• vault

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