1
a
: of, relating to, or forming the base or essence : fundamental
basic truths
b
: concerned with fundamental scientific principles : not applied
basic research
2
: constituting or serving as the basis or starting point
a basic set of tools
3
a
: of, relating to, containing, or having the character of a chemical base
b
: having an alkaline reaction
4
: containing relatively little silica
basic rocks
5
: relating to, made by, used in, or being a process of making steel done in a furnace lined with basic material and under basic slag
1
: something that is basic : fundamental
get back to basics
2
computers
: a simplified high-level language for programming a computer
The program was written in BASIC.
Synonyms
Examples of basic in a Sentence
Adjective
In this class, you will learn the basic principles of chemistry.
At its most basic level, the book is about a father's relationship with his children.
The basic difference between the two companies is their size.
rights that are basic to all human beings
basic reading, writing, and mathematics
She lacks even the most basic skills necessary for the job.
That's just the basic salary without overtime or tips.
The motel is comfortable but pretty basic: you get the necessities all right, but no luxuries.
Noun (1)
He's teaching me the basics of Japanese cooking.
He starts basic in two months.
Noun (2)
The program is written in BASIC.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Cassy Leach, a nurse, leads a volunteer group providing food, medical care and other basic goods to the town’s hundreds of homeless people.
—Claire Rush, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Lawmakers were outraged that Microsoft was charging the government extra for such a basic feature, and Biden administration officials spent the next two and a half years privately urging Microsoft to make log data free for all customers.
—Eric Geller, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
One year after Nala’s launch, Nike came on board to assist with funding the girls’ basic needs and in-residence scholarships to remove financial barriers along their training and education journey.
—Brande Victorian, Essence, 15 Apr. 2024
Today they're known for selling name-brand closeouts and fresh produce, basic grocery items, everyday household items, and seasonal and party merchandise for just 99 cents.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2024
Among the detractors were some of Johnson's harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker the last several months for reaching across the aisle to carry out the basic functions of the government.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
The vocal detractors are some of Johnson’s harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker the last several months for reaching across the aisle to carry out the basic functions of the government.
—Farnoush Amiri and Eric Tucker, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Various navigation tabs appear at the top of this section, while basic playback and volume controls are at the bottom.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
The drone offers three difficulty levels: Level one helps kiddos learn flying basics, level two activates both joysticks but maintains the self-leveling feature, and level three gives users the freedom and tools to do flips and fly at faster speeds.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 12 Apr. 2024
The very basics of many gynecological and obstetrical pathologies are still poorly understood.
—Catherine M. Klapperich, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
Emergency Survival Cards $14.95 Instead of having to remember the key steps to take in every emergency, these emergency survival cards give you the basics for a variety of different natural disasters.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2024
Here are the basics: Q: Why are Yosemite officials doing this?
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
In-person classes on the basics of starting a pollinator garden and selecting plants will be held at 11 a.m. May 9 and 10.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
He was focused on giving ESPN viewers the basics, and tended not to favor programing that tried to move outside the lines.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
The brand’s calling card is basics with a twist: silver rings with chain-like forms, chains that look like nothing else on the market, forms studded with semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli and turquoise.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 4 Apr. 2024
Adjective
But there are basic canned and dried goods, snacks and frozen foods.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Cassy Leach, a nurse, leads a volunteer group providing food, medical care and other basic goods to the town’s hundreds of homeless people.
—Claire Rush, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
Lawmakers were outraged that Microsoft was charging the government extra for such a basic feature, and Biden administration officials spent the next two and a half years privately urging Microsoft to make log data free for all customers.
—Eric Geller, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
One year after Nala’s launch, Nike came on board to assist with funding the girls’ basic needs and in-residence scholarships to remove financial barriers along their training and education journey.
—Brande Victorian, Essence, 15 Apr. 2024
Today they're known for selling name-brand closeouts and fresh produce, basic grocery items, everyday household items, and seasonal and party merchandise for just 99 cents.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2024
Among the detractors were some of Johnson's harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker the last several months for reaching across the aisle to carry out the basic functions of the government.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
The vocal detractors are some of Johnson’s harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker the last several months for reaching across the aisle to carry out the basic functions of the government.
—Farnoush Amiri and Eric Tucker, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Various navigation tabs appear at the top of this section, while basic playback and volume controls are at the bottom.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Noun
The minimalist design is great for travelers looking to load up their wardrobe with easy, breezy basics, but the dress can also be elevated with a pair of heels and an oversized blazer for a night out on the town.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
The drone offers three difficulty levels: Level one helps kiddos learn flying basics, level two activates both joysticks but maintains the self-leveling feature, and level three gives users the freedom and tools to do flips and fly at faster speeds.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 12 Apr. 2024
The very basics of many gynecological and obstetrical pathologies are still poorly understood.
—Catherine M. Klapperich, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
Emergency Survival Cards $14.95 Instead of having to remember the key steps to take in every emergency, these emergency survival cards give you the basics for a variety of different natural disasters.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2024
Here are the basics: Q: Why are Yosemite officials doing this?
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
In-person classes on the basics of starting a pollinator garden and selecting plants will be held at 11 a.m. May 9 and 10.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
He was focused on giving ESPN viewers the basics, and tended not to favor programing that tried to move outside the lines.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
The brand’s calling card is basics with a twist: silver rings with chain-like forms, chains that look like nothing else on the market, forms studded with semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli and turquoise.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'basic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near basic
Cite this Entry
“Basic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basic. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
basic
1 of 3 adjective
ba·sic
ˈbā-sik 
-zik
1
: of, relating to, or forming the base or basis : fundamental
basic research
2
: of, relating to, containing, or having the character of a chemical base
basically
adverb
-si-k(ə-)lē
-zi-
basic
2 of 3 noun
: something basic : fundamental
BASIC
3 of 3 noun
BA·SIC
ˈbā-sik
-zik
: a simplified language for programming and interacting with a computer
Etymology
Noun
Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
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