foundation
Americannoun
-
the basis or groundwork of anything.
the moral foundation of both society and religion.
-
the natural or prepared ground or base on which some structure rests.
- Synonyms:
- footing
- Antonyms:
- superstructure
-
the lowest division of a building, wall, or the like, usually of masonry and partly or wholly below the surface of the ground.
- Synonyms:
- footing
- Antonyms:
- superstructure
-
the act of founding, setting up, establishing, etc..
a policy in effect since the foundation.
- Synonyms:
- settlement, establishment
-
the state of being founded.
- Synonyms:
- settlement, establishment
-
an institution financed by a donation or legacy to aid research, education, the arts, etc..
the Ford Foundation.
-
an endowment for such an institution.
-
a cosmetic, as a cream or liquid, used as a base for facial makeup.
-
Solitaire. a card of given denomination on which other cards are to be added according to denomination or suit.
noun
-
that on which something is founded; basis
-
(often plural) a construction below the ground that distributes the load of a building, wall, etc
-
the base on which something stands
-
the act of founding or establishing or the state of being founded or established
-
-
an endowment or legacy for the perpetual support of an institution such as a school or hospital
-
entitled to benefit from the funds of a foundation
-
-
an institution supported by an endowment, often one that provides funds for charities, research, etc
-
the charter incorporating or establishing a society or institution and the statutes or rules governing its affairs
-
a cosmetic in cream or cake form used as a base for make-up
-
cards a card on which a sequence may be built
Synonym Usage
See base 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of foundation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English foundacioun, from Latin fundātiōn- (stem of fundātiō ), equivalent to fundāt(us) (past participle of fundāre; see found 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A foundation is the base for something. You often hear about the structural foundations of buildings, but a good idea can also be the foundation of a successful business. In the simplest sense, foundations support something else. Friendship is the foundation of a good marriage, and many svelte figures rely on girdles (known to underwear specialists as a foundation garment). But foundations are also charitable organizations. And in cosmetics, foundation is gooey make-up that's supposed to match your skin tone.
Vocabulary lists containing foundation
Giving Words
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Better Wi-Fi created the foundation to make other in-restaurant tech improvements, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
It’s a foundation for target-date funds, pension models and financial advisers’ laminated pie chart.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
This past year, the foundation says it reached more than 28,000 students.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
In February, a spokesperson for the foundation said the decision to close had come after "some months" of discussion.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
It lays the foundation for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before.
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
The federal government’s prospective disinvestment in the sciences has long been the status quo for the humanities, with corporate foundations and private philanthropy providing the main funding sources.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
That gave him clear air and enabled the Dutchman to consolidate his race position in third place behind the McLarens, laying the foundations for Red Bull's late strategy call.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Jocelin’s determination to build a vast new spire on the cathedral of which he is dean, without adequate foundations, and against all practical advice, begins as a vision and ends in delusion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
It may have laid the foundations of Western storytelling, but Homer’s “Odyssey” wasn’t exactly built for the movies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
These buttresses, erected on foundations next to the piers, would later be connected to the piers themselves by stone arches known as flying buttresses.
From "Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction" by David Macaulay
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.
