Meaning & use
basements
Last updated
“basements” is a form of “basement”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
The rooms of a building that are below ground level.
Grammar: This is the plural of 'basement'; use 'basements' for more than one, and 'basement' for one.
Patterns
- in the basements
- flooded basements
- basements of houses
Many old houses in this city have damp basements.
The storm flooded the basements of several shops on Main Street.
They turned the basements into small apartments for students.
Word forms
| singular | basement |
|---|
Common combinations
- a flooded basement
- After the heavy rain, we had a flooded basement for two days.
- a finished basement
- They watch films in their finished basement.
- the basement floor
- The archives are kept on the basement floor.
- in the basement
- The washing machine is in the basement.
- a basement apartment
- She rents a basement apartment near the university.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cellar
- Very close in meaning, but 'cellar' often suggests an older building used for storing food or wine, while 'basement' is the general word for any below-ground level.
- crypt
- A room under a church, usually with stone tombs; far more specific than 'basements'.
Opposites
Word family
- basement noun
- The singular form: one room or level below ground.
Commonly confused: basements or base?
basements vs base
'Base' means the bottom part or main support of something, not a room under a building: the base of a lamp, not a basement.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses the plural correctly.
Choose one answer.
With 'both houses' we need the plural 'basements', and the verb 'leak' must agree with that plural. Option 1 uses the singular noun, option 2 adds 'a' before a plural, and option 3 makes the verb singular.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “basements”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.