Synonyms of foundation

foundation

noun

fau̇n-ˈdā-shən 

1

as in institute

a public organization with a particular purpose or function

donated to a foundation that supported cancer research

Synonyms & Similar Words

• institute
• institution
• group
• establishment
• corporation
• charity
• enterprise
• body
• philanthropy
• collective
• think tank

2

as in basis

an immaterial thing upon which something else rests

she had a good enough foundation in math to pursue an economics degree

Synonyms & Similar Words

• basis
• cornerstone
• bedrock
• groundwork
• justification
• base
• ground
• root
• framework
• support
• underpinning
• footing
• core
• keystone
• premise
• theory
• warp
• essence
• focus
• bottom
• infrastructure
• backbone
• center
• warp and woof
• assumption
• bed
• shore
• heart
• thesis
• rationale
• bulwark
• substratum
• kernel
• anchorage
• prop
• mount
• presumption
• substructure
• stay
• brace
• warrant
• nucleus
• hub
• buttress
• supposition
• presupposition
• seat
• soul
• touchstone
• eye
• quintessence

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foundation

It was restored to Thyssen a decade later and passed to his grandson, Federico Zichy Thyssen, on whose 2014 death the painting landed with a charitable family foundation. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026

Regarding the first layer, the United States and its allies have let their physical foundation erode for decades. — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

The American pope wants Europe to draw from its Christian foundations and traditions to respond to Russia’s war in Ukraine and other conflicts. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

In Monday’s filing, Uthmeier pointed to comments from a board member of OpenAI’s nonprofit foundation, Paul Christiano. — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026