basis

ba·sis

noun \ˈbā-səs\

plural ba·ses\-ˌsēz\

Definition of BASIS

1

: the bottom of something considered as its foundation

2

: the principal component of something

3

a : something on which something else is established or based b : an underlying condition or state of affairs <hired on a trial basis> <on a first-name basis>

4

: the basic principle

5

: a set of linearly independent vectors in a vector space such that any vector in the vector space can be expressed as a linear combination of them with appropriately chosen coefficients

Examples of BASIS

1. The company does not hire employees on the basis of their race, sex, age, or religion.
2. <the sole basis for the rumor is someone's overactive imagination>

Origin of BASIS

Latin — more at base

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to BASIS

Synonyms: base, bedrock, bottom, cornerstone, footing, foundation, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning, warp, warp and woof

Related Words: anchorage, bed, brace, bulwark, buttress, framework, infrastructure, mount, prop, shore, stay, substratum, substructure, support; assumption, justification, premise (also premiss), presumption, presupposition, rationale, supposition, theory, thesis, warrant; backbone, center, core, cornerstone, eye, focus, heart, hub, kernel, keystone, nucleus, seat; essence, quintessence, soul, touchstone

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Rhymes with BASIS

stasis