footing

1 an immaterial thing upon which something else rests your donations help provide the charity with a firm financial footing for its work Synonyms basis, bedrock, bottom, cornerstone, base, foundation, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning, warp, warp and woofRelated Words anchorage, bed, brace, bulwark, buttress, framework, infrastructure, mount, prop, shore, stay, substratum, substructure, support; assumption, justification, premise (also premiss), presumption, presupposition, rationale, supposition, theory, thesis, warrant; backbone, center, core, cornerstone, eye, focus, heart, hub, kernel, keystone, nucleus, seat; essence, quintessence, soul, touchstone

2 position with regard to conditions and circumstances the village's two churches are on a friendly footing Synonyms ball game, deal, situation, picture, posture, scene, status, storyRelated Words rank, standing; place, spot, state; score, status quo

3 the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement you'll have to work hard to get a better footing in the company Synonyms degree, echelon, rank, level, place, position, ranking, reach(es), rung, situation, standing, station, status, stratumRelated Words condition, estate, order, walk; capacity, function; rating