base unit
noun
plural base units
: one of a set of fundamental units in a system of measurement that is based on a natural phenomenon or established standard and from which other units may be derived
The base units of the International System of Units are the meter, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela.
compare absolute unit
Examples of base unit in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Natural Units Four of seven base units in the International System of Units could change as early as 2014
Ampere (current)
Present
The current required to produce a certain force between two infinitely long parallel conductors placed 1 meter apart in vacuum.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2012
Bothwell plans to ask the PB Planning Group to send a letter requesting that the city investigate the base unit aspect of the Turquoise project.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
OpenAI charges $15 per million tokens (the base unit of AI data, equivalent to about 1.5 words) of input and $60 per million output tokens, whereas a million input tokens cost Reasoner 8 cents, and a million output tokens just 30 cents.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Its base unit is not the droning chord, but instead the articulated phrase—however serene, this is a music of statements, not mere soundscapes.
—Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024
There's also still no way to exit a game and return to the title selection screen short of physically hitting the reset button on the base unit.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 27 Sep. 2017
Though expanded in scope and scale, Fatigue maintains the Brooklyn musician’s skepticism toward the song form as an obligatory base unit of musical communication.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
The base unit of the crystal structure has 10 lead atoms in it, and that number is decreased in exact proportion to the number of copper atoms that get added.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2023
In addition, there's no guarantee that neighboring base units in the same crystal will be identical.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2023
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IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2012
Bothwell plans to ask the PB Planning Group to send a letter requesting that the city investigate the base unit aspect of the Turquoise project.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
OpenAI charges $15 per million tokens (the base unit of AI data, equivalent to about 1.5 words) of input and $60 per million output tokens, whereas a million input tokens cost Reasoner 8 cents, and a million output tokens just 30 cents.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Its base unit is not the droning chord, but instead the articulated phrase—however serene, this is a music of statements, not mere soundscapes.
—Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024
There's also still no way to exit a game and return to the title selection screen short of physically hitting the reset button on the base unit.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 27 Sep. 2017
Though expanded in scope and scale, Fatigue maintains the Brooklyn musician’s skepticism toward the song form as an obligatory base unit of musical communication.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
The base unit of the crystal structure has 10 lead atoms in it, and that number is decreased in exact proportion to the number of copper atoms that get added.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2023
In addition, there's no guarantee that neighboring base units in the same crystal will be identical.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Base unit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/base%20unit. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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