basement

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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

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basementless

play \-ləs\ adjective

See basement defined for English-language learners

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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 of basement from the Web

Hospitals that had emergency electricity generators in the basement moved them higher.

— laurie mcginley, Washington Post, "Some hospitals evacuated, but Houston’s medical world mostly withstands Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
Most days, Guidall, 79, drives from his home in White Plains, New York, to nearby Irvington, where the owner of the Voiceworks company has outfitted his basement as a recording studio.

— aimee lee ball, The Seattle Times, "Meet the king of audiobooks," 26 Aug. 2017
That’s when Adair, cruising through Westlake in an unmarked car, spotted smoke billowing from a fire in the basement of a rundown apartment building.

— jeff maysh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Cop Who Became a Robber," 22 Aug. 2017
The men locked the people in the basement before leaving in an unknown vehicle, police said.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Tinley Park police investigate home invasion," 13 Aug. 2017
With a building that exchanges air so often, the basement looks like the engine room of an aircraft carrier.

— amy lavalley, Post-Tribune, "New science building comes with $150K energy savings," 9 Aug. 2017
Elsewhere, streets were flooded and basements had to be pumped dry of water in the Harz region, and two stretches of railway lines were closed.

— Bloomberg.com, "Floods Hit Northern Germany, Force Some Evacuations," 26 July 2017
The declines became so alarming that RAVON removed 39 fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) from the park, safe-guarding them temporarily in an employee's basement.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "A fungus is attacking Europe’s most beloved salamander. It could wreak havoc if it gets to North America," 19 July 2017
The main floor feels a bit like a Kansas City museum, but the basement feels like a collector’s man cave.

— jacob gedetsis, kansascity, "This couple’s KC-themed collection is so huge they bought a second house to hold it," 14 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of basement

¹base or ²base + -ment, probably after Italian basamento

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First Known Use: 1730

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basement Synonyms

Synonyms

cellar

Antonyms

head, top, vertex

Related Words

cellarage; bunker, crawlway, foundation, hold, vault; cyclone cellar, storm cellar

Near Antonyms

acme, apex, climax, crest, culmination, height, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip, tip-top, zenith

BASEMENT Defined for English Language Learners

basement

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noun

Definition of basement for English Language Learners

: the part of a building that is entirely or partly below the ground

BASEMENT Defined for Kids

basement

play

noun base·ment \ ˈbā-smənt \

Definition of basement for Students

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

Learn More about basement

See words that rhyme with basement Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for basement Spanish Central: Translation of basement Nglish: Translation of basement for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of basement for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about basement

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basement

Definition of basement

basementless

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Examples of basement in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of basement

basement Synonyms

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BASEMENT Defined for English Language Learners

basement

Definition of basement for English Language Learners

BASEMENT Defined for Kids

basement

Definition of basement for Students

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