First recorded in 1925–30
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New Bible translations seem to be born every year: there are Bibles in Basic English, in meter, in I-see-the-cat prose for kindergartens, in Reader's Digest-like condensations.
From Time Magazine Archive
Its most eloquent sponsor asked that Basic English be spread worldwide by British propaganda, diplomatic and commercial agents.
From Time Magazine Archive
Translation into Basic English sometimes results in a stilted foreignness.
From Time Magazine Archive
By cutting and simplifying Plato's far-from-Basic Greek, the Dialogues have been brought over into something very like Basic English.
From Time Magazine Archive
You say the letter accompanying the first deposit, the one in Basic English, was apparently taken away by Kettle-Belly Sam Bonney.
From Lone Star Planet by H. Beam Piper
In terms of his adaptation, Estevao already speaks basic English, has his family around him in London and has begun driving to and from training.
From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025
He speaks basic English and has considered going to Canada, but friends told him it’s difficult as well to obtain asylum there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2025
The training included technical language training, as the usual basic English level was insufficient, he said.
From Reuters ● Aug. 19, 2023
A sandy road leads to Merino’s small cement-floor home, where one wall displays a framed certificate showing that his son passed his basic English studies.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 4, 2022
NM: Word list of basic English, updating of all tables & census material. © 12Sep44; A182825.
From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1971 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
