basic

¹

[ bey-sik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental:

   a basic principle; the basic ingredient.

   Synonyms: underlying, basal, primary, key, essential, elementary

2. Chemistry.
   1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a base. bases.
   2. not having all of the hydroxyls of the base replaced by the acid group, or having the metal or its equivalent united partly to the acid group and partly to oxygen.
   3. alkaline.
3. Metallurgy. noting, pertaining to, or made by a steelmaking process basic process in which the furnace or converter is lined with a basic or nonsiliceous material, mainly burned magnesite and a small amount of ground basic slag, to remove impurities from the steel. Compare acid ( def 9 ).
4. Geology. (of a rock) having relatively little silica.
5. Military.
   1. primary:

      basic training.

   2. of lowest rank:

      airman basic.

6. Slang.
   1. (especially of a female) characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior:

      those basic girls who follow trends.

   2. (of things) boringly predictable or unoriginal:

      His lyrics are just so basic.

noun

1. Military.
   1. basic training.
   2. a soldier or airman receiving basic training.
2. Often basics. something that is fundamental or basic; an essential ingredient, principle, procedure, etc.:

   to learn the basics of music; to get back to basics.

3. Slang. a person, especially a female, who is boringly predictable or unoriginal.

BASIC

²

[ bey-sik ]

noun

, Computers.

1. a widely adopted programming language that uses English words, punctuation marks, and algebraic notation to facilitate communication between the operator or lay user and the computer.

BASIC

¹

/ ˈbeɪsɪk /

noun

1. a computer programming language that uses common English terms

basic

²

/ ˈbeɪsɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or forming a base or basis; fundamental; underlying
2. elementary or simple

   a few basic facts

3. excluding additions or extras

   basic pay

4. chem
   1. of, denoting, or containing a base; alkaline
   2. (of a salt) containing hydroxyl or oxide groups not all of which have been replaced by an acid radical

      basic lead carbonate, 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2

5. metallurgy of, concerned with, or made by a process in which the furnace or converter is made of a basic material, such as magnesium oxide
6. (of such igneous rocks as basalt) containing between 52 and 45 per cent silica
7. military primary or initial

   basic training

noun

1. usually plural a fundamental principle, fact, etc

BASIC

/ bā′sĭk /

1. A simple programming language developed in the 1960s that is widely taught to students as a first programming language.

Other Words From

• non·basic adjective
• quasi-basic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of basic¹

First recorded in 1835–45; base ¹ + -ic

Origin of basic²

First recorded in 1965–70; B(eginner's) A(ll-purpose) S(ymbolic) I(nstruction) C(ode)

Word History and Origins

Origin of basic¹

C20: acronym of b ( eginner's ) a ( ll-purpose ) s ( ymbolic ) i ( nstruction ) c ( ode )

Example Sentences

Stefanik and Rubio are conventionally credentialed and will probably have basic familiarity with the issues they’re working on, but they’re also being put in the jobs that have the least potential to turn the U.S. into a failed state, which is good, I guess.

From Slate

They also create an environment for surprising new discoveries, things scientists would never have dreamed of had they not been in the lab, conducting basic research.

From Slate

And if basic research is stripped down, streamlined, or tossed entirely in favor of “efficiency”? It will not just be scientists who will suffer—it will be all of us.

From Slate

The line between basic research and discoveries is not always short.

From Slate

Per Trump’s press release, it amounts to a basic report of recommended job cuts.

From Slate

Related Words

• elemental
• essential
• key
• main
• necessary
• primary
• primitive
• underlying
• vital