basement

noun

base·ment | \ˈbās-mənt

Definition of basement

1 : the part of a building that is wholly or partly below ground level

2 : the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture

3 : the lowest or fundamental part of something specifically : the rocks underlying stratified rocks

4 chiefly New England : a toilet or washroom especially in a school

5a : a low state, rank, or condition With their stock in the basement and red ink all over their balance sheet, many struggling [companies] are finding that fund-raising has become an exceedingly difficult proposition.— Brad Stone

b : the lowest place in the standings : cellar sense 2 Last year, the Phillies finished in the basement of the NL East with 68 wins, tied with the Cubs for the fewest wins in the league. — Boston Herald

Other Words from basement Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about basement

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for basement

Synonyms

base, bottom, foot, nadir, rock bottom

Antonyms

head, top, vertex

Examples of basement in a Sentence

we store our bicycles in the basement during the winter the basement of the outdoor fountain needs a lot of restoration work

Recent Examples on the Web

Zavino, on the northwest corner, had a flooded basement and a small electrical fire that owner Greg Dodge. — Michael Klein, Philly.com, "Water main break wreaks havoc on Center City restaurants," 3 July 2018 In other news: The teen was in a downstairs basement and heard noises and thought his family had come home. — Zachary Hansen, ajc, "Police: Rome man arrested who fatally shot girlfriend in front of her kids," 30 June 2018 The family fled the blaze, but one of the family member's girlfriends was in the basement. — Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, "Grilling in the garage in Warren could soon land you in jail," 18 June 2018 While the bodyguards’s uniforms are kept upstairs, there’s a full store downstairs with off-the-rack items, as well as tailors in the basement working on custom orders. — Diana Pearl, PEOPLE.com, "What Is a Royal Warrant? 6 Brands the Royal Family Loves (That You Can Buy Too!)," 29 May 2018 Sloane Bhatia, who has renters on her property, took shelter with her tenants in the basement. — Matthew Ormseth, courant.com, "Connecticut Sifts Through Wreckage From Two Tornadoes, Macroburst," 17 May 2018 To avoid this, the NFPA recommends having an alarm in every bedroom, outside of every sleeping area, and on each level of your home (including the basement). — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Emergency Responders Share 9 of the Biggest Death Traps in Your Home," 14 July 2018 The finished basement holds a guest suite and an entertainment area walking out to the back porch. — Emma Austin, The Courier-Journal, "This modern Louisville-area farmhouse was designed with family in mind," 12 July 2018 Police say the 1-year-old girl fell through a hole on the first floor of a home in Detroit on Friday night, plunging into the house's flooded basement and drowning, The Detroit News reported. — Scott Berson, miamiherald, "Baby stayed home with sitters. Then she fell through a hole and drowned, police say," 11 July 2018

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