basement

noun base·ment \ ˈbās-mənt \

Updated on: 28 Feb 2018

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

5 a : 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 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

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basementless

play \-ləs\ adjective

See basement defined for English-language learners

See basement defined for kids

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

In a series of sleepovers in his basement, Kai regales the male cult members with tales of other inspiring leaders.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "American Horror Story: Cult Episode 9 Was About Kai's Grand Cult Ambitions," 1 Nov. 2017
My paternal grandmother had an even more elaborate bar in her basement.

— jim meehan, Bon Appetit, "This Is What the Dream Home Bar Looks Like," 24 Oct. 2017
Flora Bar, the Estela follow-up from Ignacio Mattos and Thomas Carter in the grand, high-ceilinged, never-too-loud basement of the Met Breuer museum, does not serve fare identified with any specific country.

— jeff gordinier, Esquire, "The Best New Restaurants in America 2017," 18 Oct. 2017
The original Farmer’s Tavern was built in 1805, and included a basement that served as slave quarters, said Larry Muench, who, with his wife, Laura, owns and operates John Dengler Tobacconists, which now occupies the former tavern.

— gary garth, USA TODAY, "Up the Missouri: St. Charles’ riverside charm," 5 Oct. 2017
This theory posits that since Randall and Kevin were feuding at the time, Kate likely was moved to the basement (with the faulty washing machine) temporarily so that the two boys would not have to share a room.

— melissa minton, Glamour, "A 'This Is Us' Fan Theory Blames Jack's Death on the Washing Machine, and It's Actually Convincing," 2 Oct. 2017
Skerrit said some residents who didn't move to shelters had tried to ride out their storm in their basements.

— yuliya talmazan, NBC News, "Hurricane Maria Damages Dominica’s Main Hospital, Leaves ‘War Zone’ Conditions," 22 Sep. 2017
Others were bequeathed to museums, where they were politely received and shuffled into basements.

— jonathon keats, Discover Magazine, "The Animal Mummy Business," 10 Nov. 2017
Bart Arconti, a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, got hooked on prescription painkillers in the basement of his best friend’s townhouse in a Baltimore suburb.

— kyle spencer, New York Times, "Opioids on the Quad," 30 Oct. 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.