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

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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 on the Web

Becky screamed for Nick to come upstairs from the basement. — Dana Hunsinger Benbow, Indianapolis Star, "Two brothers, hockey players, dead on same day of opioid overdose," 13 June 2019 The neighbors said Salinas had managed to go to the building’s basement and refused to come out, so the officer went down there and found Salinas behind the furnace, documents said. — Michelle L. Quinn, Post-Tribune, "Police: Boyfriend charged in Hammond domestic incident," 11 June 2019 The issue of whether to bring a Confederate statue into a building where blacks framed for crimes were beaten in the basement in the 1940s has been controversial in Lake County. — Staff, orlandosentinel.com, "Church plans march to protest Confederate statue coming to Tavares," 7 June 2019 Foosball isn't a game reserved for the basement or game room anymore. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "This Outdoor Foosball Table Will Upgrade All Your Summer Barbecues," 23 May 2019 When overnight guests arrive, there are bedroom suites in both the daylight basement and on the main floor. — Toll Brothers, The Seattle Times, "6 homes remain at community near Microsoft," 29 Mar. 2019 Every department store in Japan—and there are many—dedicates its basement floor to a vast food hall. — Hanya Yanagihara, Condé Nast Traveler, "50 Things to Do in Asia Before You Die," 24 Sep. 2018 Fifteen of them cover his basement floor, which is the size of half a basketball court. — Stu Bykofsky, Philly.com, "What's he up to? Frankly, it's puzzling | Stu Bykofsky," 19 June 2018 Supplement your tub with a couple of kiddie pools on top of some plastic tarp laid down on the living room or basement floor. — Dan Savage, Chicago Reader, "What to do when someone horns in on all the action at the orgy," 23 May 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.