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
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
Boston HeraldExamples 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
Construction plans indicate that China intends to demolish and rebuild a basement wall, placing officials and equipment just over three feet from critical fiber-optic cables.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
The 31-year-old father of two converted his basement into his own Patriots haven.
—Paul Burton, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
In many cases, storing your furniture in a safe, sheltered area, such as a garage, shed, or basement, is the best possible solution.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2026
That cold air often enters at exterior walls or basements, where pipes are most at risk.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for basement
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Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
The 31-year-old father of two converted his basement into his own Patriots haven.
—Paul Burton, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
In many cases, storing your furniture in a safe, sheltered area, such as a garage, shed, or basement, is the best possible solution.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2026
That cold air often enters at exterior walls or basements, where pipes are most at risk.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for basement
Cite this Entry
“Basement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basement. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
basement
noun
base·ment
ˈbās-mənt 
: the part of a building that is entirely or partly below ground level
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