basement

noun

Save Word

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 More Example Sentences Learn More about basement

Keep scrolling for more

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 The Pittsburgh Pirates went 69-93 in 2019, finishing in the basement of the National League’s Central Division. — Skip Snow, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "How many games will the Pittsburgh Pirates win in 2020?," 17 Feb. 2020 The clerks assigned to Uzomba and the records removed late Thursday from her courtroom on the first floor of the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center are now in an office in the basement of the old courthouse next door. — Elizabeth Zavala, ExpressNews.com, "Bexar County Clerk removes employees, files from Judge Uzomba’s court in downtown San Antonio," 14 Feb. 2020 The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force found Tyshawn Weems hiding in the basement of an apartment on Scovill Avenue near East 63rd Street, marshals said in a news release. — Evan Macdonald, cleveland, "Cleveland fugitive found hiding in dryer at East Side apartment, U.S. marshals say," 13 Feb. 2020 A hundred people gathered in the basement of a trade-union headquarters. — Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, "The Original Bernie Bro Drums Up Expat Votes," 10 Feb. 2020 Police found Berry on Jan. 30 in the basement of a home in the 3200 block of Virginia Avenue. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "Police: Boyfriend killed Louisville woman, covered her body with trash in a plastic bin," 7 Feb. 2020 The State Department review began after the FBI investigated Clinton's use of an unauthorized server hosted in the basement of her home in Chappaqua, New York, during her time as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. — Kerry Picket, Washington Examiner, "Top senator presses Pompeo for missing details in Clinton emails report," 6 Feb. 2020 In the basement of Dallas’ downtown library, deep sleepers who averted the cold winds outside snored. — Hayat Norimine, Dallas News, "Emergency shelter for homeless moves to Dallas public library basement," 5 Feb. 2020 He and my mother would assemble all the gifts in the basement of our home for weeks leading up to Christmas. — David Kindy, Smithsonian, "After 90 Years, the ‘Flying Santa’ Is Still Dropping Gifts From a Plane," 17 Dec. 2019

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.