Meaning & use
foundation
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Meanings
nounusually plural
The solid base, usually underground, that supports a building.
Grammar: Often foundations in this sense: dig the foundations.
Patterns
- the foundations of something
Workers poured concrete for the foundation of the house.
Cracks in the foundations can make a building unsafe.
The old church stands on Roman foundations.
nouncountablefigurative
The basic idea or base on which something is built or develops.
Grammar: Often followed by for or of: a foundation for success.
Patterns
- a foundation for something
- the foundation of something
Good manners are the foundation of a polite society.
Early reading is a foundation for later learning.
The rumor has no foundation in fact.
nouncountable
An organization set up with money to support charity, research or education.
Grammar: Often part of a name: the Smith Foundation.
Patterns
- a foundation for something
The foundation gave grants to local schools.
She works for a cancer research foundation.
A family foundation funded the library.
noununcountable
Makeup in cream or powder form applied to even out skin tone.
Grammar: Uncountable: wear foundation.
She chose a foundation that matched her skin.
He applied foundation with a sponge.
This foundation lasts all day.
noununcountableformal
The act of founding or establishing an institution.
Grammar: Used with of: the foundation of the city.
Patterns
- the foundation of something
The college celebrated the foundation of its first campus.
Since its foundation in 1920, the club has grown.
Word forms
| plural | foundations |
|---|
Common combinations
- lay the foundation
- This course lays the foundation for advanced study.
- solid foundation
- A solid foundation in math helps in science.
- charitable foundation
- A charitable foundation paid for the clinic.
- shake the foundations
- The scandal shook the foundations of the company.
- without foundation
- The claims are without foundation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- basis
- Names the reason or main principle for something, rather than a physical or structural base.
- groundwork
- Emphasizes preparation done beforehand.
- base
- A general, simpler word for what something rests on.
- trust
- For the organization sense, a trust holds assets for a purpose; a foundation usually gives out funds.
Word family
- found verb
- to establish an organization
- founder noun
- a person who establishes something
- foundational adjective
- forming a base
- founding adjective
- relating to the start of an organization
Commonly confused: foundation or found?
foundation vs found
Found (to establish) is a regular verb, but found is also the past tense of find. The context shows which.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'foundation' in its organization sense?
Choose one answer.
A foundation that awards scholarships is an organization funded to support a cause. The other options mean a building base, makeup, and a basic principle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “foundation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.