Meaning & use
base
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Meanings
nouncountable
The lowest part of something, on which it stands or rests.
Grammar: Often followed by of: the base of the tower.
Patterns
- the base of something
The lamp has a heavy base so it doesn't fall over.
We camped at the base of the mountain.
Paint the base of the wall first.
nouncountable
The main part or idea from which something develops, or the people who support it.
Grammar: Often used with a modifier: customer base.
Patterns
- a base for something
A loyal customer base kept the shop in business.
The politician addressed his base at the rally.
Flour is the base for most breads.
nouncountable
A place from which an organization works or from which people begin trips, especially a military site.
Grammar: Often followed by in or at: based in Paris.
Patterns
- a base in a place
The army built a base near the border.
The hotel is a good base for exploring the island.
The company moved its base to Chicago.
verbtransitive
To use something as the starting point or main support for something else.
Grammar: Usually takes on: base a film on a book.
Patterns
- base something on something
- be based in a place
The movie is based on a true story.
She based her decision on the available facts.
Our team is based in Boston.
nouncountablechemistry
A chemical that reacts with an acid to form a salt and can turn litmus paper blue.
Grammar: Used in chemistry.
Soap is made using a strong base.
Sodium hydroxide is a common base.
A base has a pH above seven.
adjectivebefore a nounformalliterary
Showing low moral standards or lacking honor.
Grammar: Formal or literary: base motives.
He acted from base motives of greed.
The poem condemns base cruelty.
She refused to stoop to base tricks.
Word forms
| plural | bases |
|---|---|
| third person singular | bases |
| past tense | based |
| past participle | based |
| -ing form | basing |
Common combinations
- customer base
- The firm has a growing customer base.
- military base
- The military base was closed last year.
- base camp
- They set up base camp at the foot of the mountain.
- based on
- The story is based on real events.
- base metal
- Iron is a base metal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- foundation
- Foundation usually means the supporting part hidden below a structure or the idea behind something.
- bottom
- Bottom is the plain word for the lowest part, whereas base suggests a part that supports.
- headquarters
- Headquarters is the main office of an organization, while base can be any place used as a starting point.
- alkali
- Alkali is a base that dissolves in water, so it is a narrower term than base in chemistry.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: base or bass? base or basis?
base vs bass
Bass, pronounced like base, refers to low sounds or a type of fish.
base vs basis
Basis means the reason or ground for something, while base is usually a physical or central part.
Practice
The film is ____ on a true story.
Choose one answer.
The passive form be based on is needed here, so based is correct. The other forms do not fit after is.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “base”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.