basic

adjective

ba·sic | \ ˈbā-sik also -zik

Definition of basic

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : of, relating to, or forming the base or essence : fundamental basic truths

b : concerned with fundamental scientific principles : not applied basic research

2 : constituting or serving as the basis or starting point a basic set of tools

3a : of, relating to, containing, or having the character of a chemical base

b : having an alkaline reaction

4 : containing relatively little silica basic rocks

5 : relating to, made by, used in, or being a process of making steel done in a furnace lined with basic material and under basic slag

basic

noun (1)

Definition of basic (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : something that is basic : fundamental get back to basics

2 : basic training

BASIC

noun (2)

BA·SIC | \ ˈbā-sik

Definition of BASIC (Entry 3 of 3)

computers : a simplified high-level language for programming a computer The program was written in BASIC.

Other Words from basic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about basic

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Examples of basic in a Sentence

Adjective

In this class, you will learn the basic principles of chemistry. At its most basic level, the book is about a father's relationship with his children. The basic difference between the two companies is their size. rights that are basic to all human beings basic reading, writing, and mathematics She lacks even the most basic skills necessary for the job. That's just the basic salary without overtime or tips. The motel is comfortable but pretty basic: you get the necessities all right, but no luxuries.

Noun (1)

He's teaching me the basics of Japanese cooking. He starts basic in two months.

Noun (2)

The program is written in BASIC.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The report vividly described a state that's failing to deliver basic necessities to its people, including the right to food, medical care and freedom of speech. — Caitlin Hu And Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, "Venezuelans protest after UN report alleges deaths and cover-ups," 5 July 2019 While many are calling for the migrant detention centers to be shut down, many of the people in them are still going without beds or other basic necessities. — Tanya Edwards, refinery29.com, "Inside Wayfair Employees' Protest Of The Company's Business With Migrant Detention Centers," 30 June 2019 But beyond fixes to the plane itself, the company’s larger issue may be much more basic: Nick Hennen. — Erik Sherman, Fortune, "Coming Off Paris Air Show High, Here's What Boeing Must Do to Get the 737 MAX (and Its Business) Back in the Air," 28 June 2019 But his own performance Thursday night lacked the energy his supporters have shown for him and universal basic income, his key politicy initiative. — Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, "Thursday Democratic debate: Who were the winners and losers," 28 June 2019 The design was basic, just a sheet of manganese steel pressed into a bowl shape, weighing about a pound and a half. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "The Century-Long Evolution of the U.S. Army Helmet," 27 June 2019 Taxes need to be raised and solutions like universal basic income (UBI) have to be explored, their line of reasoning goes. — Azamat Omuraliev, Quartz, "We should start working less now to mentally prepare ourselves for automation," 27 June 2019 People can pre-register kids or family members with sensory or accessibility needs if separation from a group is a concern and connect with a police officer who will gather basic information in case of an emergency. — Natalia E. Contreras, Indianapolis Star, "Your guide to the Spark!Fishers festival: Fourth of July fireworks, musical acts and road closures," 25 June 2019 That's because, physiologically, the fish cope with the more acidic environment by accumulating bicarbonate ions, which are basic, and by shedding chloride ions. — Elizabeth Preston, Science | AAAS, "A growing sensory smog threatens the ability of fish to communicate, navigate, and survive," 20 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Having these basics outside cuts down on trips into the house during cooking and entertaining. — Washington Post, "ASK A DESIGNER: Outdoor kitchens keep evolving," 10 July 2019 Hodson will teach Malone about design techniques and baking basics. — Anne Nickoloff, cleveland.com, "10-year-old Medina native opening Frosted Cake Shoppe," 8 July 2019 Yet the basics of the United States team’s financial arrangement with U.S. Soccer will not change immediately, decades of inequity hardly wiped clean with a flurry of goals. — Andrew Das, New York Times, "The U.S. Women Won, the Men Lost, and the Equal Pay Fight Tied Them Together Again," 8 July 2019 Now, the modeling agency is teaching Washington the basics of modeling: how to walk a runway, what expression to wear, how to pose for photos and more. — Sarah Sarder, Dallas News, "Teen whose hair cost him job at Six Flags Over Texas turns heads at modeling agency," 6 July 2019 Understand the basics of developing credit as a business and how to use it to secure funding at an event hosted by business organization NCC Massachusetts. — BostonGlobe.com, "Tuesday’s business agenda," 2 July 2019 With six courses and over 30 hours of instruction, this bundle will teach you everything from the absolute basics of Excel to its most advanced tricks and tools. — NBC News, "Don't know Microsoft Excel? This bundle will help you master it," 1 July 2019 On Thursday, it was filled with about 100 local children learning baseball basics from a collection of some of the Yankees’ most famous faces, including Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodríguez and Reggie Jackson. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, "For New York Mets Fans Tired of Losing, There’s a Winning Solution: The London Mets," 29 June 2019 Ajanku teaches kids the basics like grip, stance and swing, but also etiquette and life skills as well. — John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, "As PGA tries to diversify, Rocket Mortgage Classic could provide boost," 27 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'basic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.