footing

noun

foot·​ing ˈfu̇-tiŋ 

1

: a stable position or placing of the feet

2

: a surface or its condition with respect to one walking or running on it

especially : the condition of a racetrack

3

: the act of moving on foot : step, tread

4

a

: a place or position providing a base of operations : foothold

b

: established position : status

especially : position or rank in relation to others

they all started off on an equal footing

5

: basis

6

: terms of social intercourse

7

: an enlargement at the lower end of a foundation wall, pier, or column to distribute the load

8

: the sum of a column of figures

Synonyms

• basis
• foundation
• bedrock
• cornerstone

Examples of footing in a Sentence

He lost his footing and fell down the slope.

Be careful. The footing is slippery there.

Recent Examples on the Web

After struggles in Week 1, the offense regained its footing under new coordinator Johnny Morton. —Mike Jones, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025

Beneath the film’s comedic surface run threads of reinvention and vulnerability, themes that echo Cooper’s own early years as an actor just finding his footing in New York. —Antonio Ferme, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025

But that’s exactly what the 48-year-old CEO advises that Gen Zers today, who are struggling to get a footing and even getting fired months into new roles, should embrace. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025

These civic footings carry the architecture of socialist monumentality and New York sidewalks, evoking both town square and cemetery, utopia and capital. —Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing footing

• on an equal footing
• on firm ground/footing
• war footing

Rhymes for footing

• inputting
• outputting

Kids Definition

footing

noun

foot·​ing ˈfu̇t-iŋ 

1

a

: the placing of one's feet in a position to secure a firm or safe stand

b

: a place for the foot to rest securely

2

a

: a place or position providing a base of operations : foothold sense 2

b

: position with respect to one another : status

all started off on an equal footing

c

: basis

put the business on a firm footing