Definition of baseline
1 : a line serving as a basis; especially : one of known measure or position used (as in surveying or navigation) to calculate or locate something
2a : either of the lines on a baseball field that lead from home plate to first base and third base and are extended into the outfield as foul linesb : basepath
3 : a boundary line at either end of a court (as in tennis or basketball)
4 : a usually initial set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control
5 : a starting point the baseline of this discussion
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Examples of baseline in a Sentence
The experiment is meant only to provide a baseline for other studies.
any year or event we use as the baseline for the Renaissance is going to be at least somewhat arbitrary
Recent Examples of baseline from the Web
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Someone had told them to leave their tablets at home so their baseline mood read unimpressed.
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BLS data shows that the state gained 36,800 jobs during O’Malley’s two terms in office, compared to 93,300 during Hogan’s nearly 30-month tenure, using January of their first year in office as the baseline for both governors.
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But those scenarios, and not the present climate, are the baseline.
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Players must know how to keep score and serve or drop-feed from the baseline.
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According to a press release, McBoatface’s job over the 7-week mission was to gather baseline measurements from the 13,000-foot-deep Orkney Passage.
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Using those numbers, Reuters pegs the repair rate at about 25 percent, using a baseline of 29 million defective inflators.
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Cycle-syncing your diet as part of the FLO protocol and taking probiotics, B vitamins and magnesium, among others, to replace what was massively depleted by synthetic hormones is a must-do baseline for a successful transition.
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Carr’s contract immediately becomes the new baseline for the extension the Detroit Lions expect to wrap up with Matthew Stafford this summer.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'baseline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of baseline
circa 1556
BASELINE Defined for English Language Learners
baseline
playDefinition of baseline for English Language Learners
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: information that is used as a starting point by which to compare other information
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: a line at either end of the playing area in games like basketball and tennis
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baseball : either one of the lines that lead from home plate to first base and third base
Medical Dictionary
baseline
playMedical Definition of baseline
: a set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control
Learn More about baseline
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See words that rhyme with baseline Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for baseline Nglish: Translation of baseline for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of baseline for Arabic speakers
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