Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for foundation. Search instead for refoundations.
Synonyms

foundation

American  
[foun-dey-shuhn] / faʊnˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the basis or groundwork of anything.

    the moral foundation of both society and religion.

  2. the natural or prepared ground or base on which some structure rests.

    Synonyms:
    footing
    Antonyms:
    superstructure
  3. 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
  4. the act of founding, found, setting up, establishing, etc..

    a policy in effect since the foundation.

    Synonyms:
    settlement, establishment
  5. the state of being founded. found.

    Synonyms:
    settlement, establishment
  6. an institution financed by a donation or legacy to aid research, education, the arts, etc..

    the Ford Foundation.

  7. an endowment for such an institution.

  8. a cosmetic, as a cream or liquid, used as a base for facial makeup.

  9. foundation garment.

  10. Solitaire. a card of given denomination on which other cards are to be added according to denomination or suit.


foundation British  
/ faʊnˈdeɪʃən /

noun

  1. that on which something is founded; basis

  2. (often plural) a construction below the ground that distributes the load of a building, wall, etc

  3. the base on which something stands

  4. the act of founding or establishing or the state of being founded or established

    1. an endowment or legacy for the perpetual support of an institution such as a school or hospital

    2. entitled to benefit from the funds of a foundation

  5. an institution supported by an endowment, often one that provides funds for charities, research, etc

  6. the charter incorporating or establishing a society or institution and the statutes or rules governing its affairs

  7. a cosmetic in cream or cake form used as a base for make-up

  8. See foundation garment

  9. cards a card on which a sequence may be built

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See base 1.

Other Word Forms

  • foundational adjective
  • foundationally adverb
  • foundationary adjective
  • prefoundation noun

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; found 1 ) + -iōn- -ion

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.

Villeroy said he was leaving to lead a Catholic charitable foundation, but it was seen as potentially laying the groundwork for a broader shuffling of ECB roles ahead of the French election.

From The Wall Street Journal

Because of that and other benefits, the humble Mac mini has become the weapon of choice for techies to run their coding and desktop agents, using the LLMs as the foundation.

From Barron's

Stripping away these elements would, in Tehran's view, dismantle the foundations of its deterrence.

From BBC

Yet on the same day, the foundation said Gates would deliver his keynote address as scheduled.

From The Wall Street Journal

So the foundation might be the same, but she has got to kind of play the game for a while and she’s got to find out information from them first.

From Los Angeles Times