footing

noun

foot·​ing ˈfu̇-tiŋ 

1

: a stable position or placing of the feet

lost his footing and fell

2

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

Be careful—the footing is slippery there.

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

put the business on a firm financial footing

6

: terms of social intercourse

neighbors on a friendly footing

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 of footing

• 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

Jones never found his footing in Cleveland, though, and the club sent him to the White Sox for international bonus pool money in June. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Azan Awais then put the Pakistan reply on a solid footing with a half-century before Shafique and Babar led the visitors to 266-2 at stumps. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Overnight, a category that spread into gas stations, liquor stores and grocery chains would lose its legal footing, and the drinks Cann sells at Target and Circle K would have to come off the shelves. — Javier Hasse, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old lifeguard stationed at Tower 2, spotted Nathaniel losing his footing. — Sophia Leone, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

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

• 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