Synonyms

well-founded

American

[wel-foun-did] / ˈwɛlˈfaʊn dɪd /

adjective

having a foundation in fact; based on good reasons, information, etc..

well-founded suspicions.

well-founded British

adjective

having good grounds

well-founded rumours

"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

Etymology

Origin of well-founded

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75

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.

Thousands of mourners turned out for his funeral in Moscow in March 2024 despite well-founded fears of a police crackdown.

From BBC

And those concerns turned out to be all too well-founded.

From Salon

BBC News spoke to three experts to find out if environmental, financial and medical concerns about air conditioning are well-founded.

From BBC

His announcement on social media was accompanied by a letter from the UK Home Office which read: "We accept you have a well-founded fear of persecution and therefore cannot return to your country."

From BBC

The staff said they had submitted the complaint anonymously "due to a well-founded fear of retaliation".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023