bare-bones

adjective \ ˈber-ˈbōnz \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

: including only what is most basic or necessary

a bare-bones e-mail program

Skyscrapers of steel hung with curtain walls of glass, these sleek buildings were impressive monuments to bare-bones architectural integrity.
—C. A. Mills

See bare-bones defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of bare-bones

1946

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

bare bones

plural noun

: the barest essentials, facts, or elements

the bare bones of her life

Recent Examples of bare bones from the Web

Maybe the barest bones of such preparation are beginning to emerge.

— tim lister, CNN, "After the Syria strikes, is there any chance for diplomacy?," 15 Apr. 2018
Leicester will be down to the bare bones in the centre of midfield, with Matty James sidelined for the rest of the season with an Achilles problem.

— SI.com, "Burnley vs Leicester City Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News, Prediction & More," 13 Apr. 2018
King Jerk offers both in a bare bones, mostly take-out, Jamaican jerk joint on West Dixie Highway.

— linda bladholm, miamiherald, "The jerk chicken, fish and ribs at this North Miami spot are for spicy, barbecue lovers | Miami Herald," 28 Feb. 2018
The Marlins are stripping the team down to the bare bones, and this year their fans won't have the All-Star Game to at least look forward to.

— jorge l. ortiz, USA TODAY, "What would this MLB offseason look like if Marlins, Pirates cared about winning?," 30 Jan. 2018
And yet, even at the most bare bones airport café, your average everyday cheese is often nowhere in sight.

— claudia mcneilly, Vogue, "Bogotá, Colombia, Is an Irresistible Dining Destination," 14 Jan. 2018
For those who want the bare bones, several brands offer watches that track distance, time and sometimes heart rate.

— CNN Underscored, "Your guide to buying a running watch," 1 Nov. 2017
Spotify won't work with Siri on Apple's HomePod (Business Insider) - While other home assistants such as Amazon's Echo work with many other services, Apple's offering only the bare bones.

— dwight silverman, Houston Chronicle, "Here's the beef | 10.31.17," 31 Oct. 2017
In adopting this bare bones budget, the majority laid the groundwork for a reconciliation bill that would repeal Obamacare — and couldn’t be filibustered, enabling passage without any Democratic votes.

— molly e. reynolds, Washington Post, "This is why the congressional budget process is broken," 26 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bare bones.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.