basis

UK/ˈbeɪ.sɪs/<a:RP,GA><ref:<<name:OED>>>US/ˈbeɪ.sɪs/<a:RP,GA><ref:<<name:OED>>>

nounB1Very common — you will meet it every day · #2,172 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: bases

A basis is the thing something else is built on. On the basis of, no basis in fact, a regular basis.

On a daily basis is a long way of saying daily, and good writing cuts it. The plural is bases, which is spelt the same as the plural of base and pronounced differently. Note that the Greek word means a step or a footing.

Definitions of basis

1nounbasisThe thing something else is built on.B1
“Trust is the basis of any good friendship.”

basis is a foundation.

Where it comes from

Latin basis comes from Greek basis, a step or footing, from bainein, to walk. Base is the same word.

Proto-Indo-European
*gʷem-
Proto-Indo-European
*gʷémtis
Ancient Greek
βάσις
Latin
basis
English, today
basis

From Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις, from Proto-Indo-European gʷémtis, derived from Proto-Indo-European gʷem- (whence also come). a doublet of base.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

basis in the wild

The elements of a basis are called basis vectors.
Basis (linear algebra)
Two common accounting methods, cash basis accounting and accrual basis accounting, do not use the same process for measuring revenue.
Revenue
The synodic day is distinguished from the sidereal day, which is one complete rotation in relation to distant stars and is the basis of sidereal time.
Synodic day
Alvin Plantinga argued that belief in God is a properly basic belief, and so no basis for belief in God is necessary.
Reformed epistemology
Changes of interest rates are often stated in basis points.
Basis point

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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