basement

noun

base·​ment ˈbās-mənt 

1

: the part of a building that is wholly or partly below ground level

2

: the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture

3

: the lowest or fundamental part of something

specifically : the rocks underlying stratified rocks

4

chiefly New England : a toilet or washroom especially in a school

5

a

: a low state, rank, or condition

With their stock in the basement and red ink all over their balance sheet, many struggling [companies] are finding that fund-raising has become an exceedingly difficult proposition.

—Brad Stone

b

: the lowest place in the standings : cellar sense 2

Last year, the Phillies finished in the basement of the NL East with 68 wins, tied with the Cubs for the fewest wins in the league.

—Boston Herald

basementless

ˈbās-mənt-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• cellar

Examples of basement in a Sentence

we store our bicycles in the basement during the winter

the basement of the outdoor fountain needs a lot of restoration work

Recent Examples on the Web

Tangent Isaacman, who dropped out of high school, founded Shift4 Payments (then known as United Bank Card) at the age of 16 in his parents’ basement in New Jersey—after dropping out of high school. —Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

In the spring of 2022, PETA learned that Haddix was keeping Tonka in her basement, which led to the chimp's removal from her custody and transfer to Save the Chimps. —Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024

In tandem with the exhibit, Courrèges is offering a selection of exclusive products in a pop-up space in the basement atrium of the department store, which will remain open until Oct. 20. —Joelle Diderich, WWD, 9 Sep. 2024

Jesse Evans was convicted in the 1990s of obtaining a new tile floor in the basement of his home from a grocer seeking backing for a liquor license. —Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

base entry 1 or base entry 2 + -ment, probably after Italian basamento

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing basement

• bargain basement
• basement membrane
• finished basement/attic
• sub-basement

Kids Definition

basement

noun

base·​ment ˈbās-mənt 

: the part of a building that is entirely or partly below ground level