Meaning & use
basement
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Meanings
nouncountable
A room or floor of a building that is partly or completely below ground level.
Grammar: Countable; use a/an or the plural basements.
Patterns
- in the basement
- a basement apartment
- the basement floor
We store our bikes in the basement.
She has a small office in the basement of the building.
The basement apartment is cheaper because it has no windows.
nouncountabletechnical
The lowest or bottom layer of something.
Grammar: Often used figuratively, especially in geology or anatomy.
Patterns
- the basement of something
- basement rock
- basement membrane
The basement rock under the city is very old.
The basement of the building is used for storage.
The basement membrane supports the cells above it.
Word forms
| plural | basements |
|---|
Common combinations
- basement apartment
- They rented a basement apartment near the university.
- basement floor
- The laundry room is on the basement floor.
- in the basement
- The children are playing in the basement.
- basement storage
- We keep our holiday decorations in basement storage.
- finished basement
- Their house has a finished basement with a home theater.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- base noun
- The bottom part or foundation of something.
Commonly confused: basement or cellar?
basement vs cellar
A cellar is often just for storage and may be smaller, while a basement can be a full floor for living.
Practice
Choose the best word: We keep our old furniture in the ______ because it's cool and dry.
Choose one answer.
A basement is below ground and often used for storage. An attic is at the top of a house, a balcony is outside, and a roof is the top covering.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “basement”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.