foundation

[ foun-dey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the basis or groundwork of anything:

   the moral foundation of both society and religion.

2. the natural or prepared ground or base on which some structure rests.

   Synonyms: footing

   Antonyms: superstructure

3. the lowest division of a building, wall, or the like, usually of masonry and partly or wholly below the surface of the ground.

   Synonyms: footing

   Antonyms: superstructure

4. the act of founding, found, setting up, establishing, etc.:

   a policy in effect since the foundation.

   Synonyms: settlement, establishment

5. the state of being founded. found.

   Synonyms: settlement, establishment

6. an institution financed by a donation or legacy to aid research, education, the arts, etc.:

   the Ford Foundation.

7. an endowment for such an institution.
8. a cosmetic, as a cream or liquid, used as a base for facial makeup.
9. foundation garment.
10. Solitaire. a card of given denomination on which other cards are to be added according to denomination or suit.

foundation

/ faʊnˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. that on which something is founded; basis
2. often plural a construction below the ground that distributes the load of a building, wall, etc
3. the base on which something stands
4. the act of founding or establishing or the state of being founded or established
5. 1. an endowment or legacy for the perpetual support of an institution such as a school or hospital
   2. entitled to benefit from the funds of a foundation
6. an institution supported by an endowment, often one that provides funds for charities, research, etc
7. the charter incorporating or establishing a society or institution and the statutes or rules governing its affairs
8. a cosmetic in cream or cake form used as a base for make-up
9. See foundation garment
10. cards a card on which a sequence may be built

Derived Forms

• founˈdational, adjective
• founˈdationally, adverb
• founˈdationary, adjective

Other Words From

• foun·da·tion·al adjective
• pre·foun·da·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of foundation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English foundacioun, from Latin fundātiōn- (stem of fundātiō ), equivalent to fundāt(us) (past participle of fundāre; found ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Synonym Study

See base ¹.

Example Sentences

Some are part of criminal syndicates or "recruited" to be in one, Busi Thabane, from Benchmarks Foundation, a charity which monitors corporations in South Africa, told the BBC's NewsDay programme.

From BBC

As Jared Taylor, the white supremacist and founder of the New Century Foundation, put it when we met this year, a new wave of “eco-supremacists” is emerging.

From Salon

She gave him hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then, after her death, her Colcom Foundation, named after the bleak and satirical novel “Cold Comfort Farm,” continued to donate to Tanton’s organizations — more than $150 million.

From Salon

In February 2010, as Republicans gathered for the prestigious annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., the Center for Immigration Studies’ longtime executive director, Mark Krikorian, sat on a panel about immigration reform in front of a packed audience, along with Robert Rector from the Heritage Foundation and Steve King, the lightning-rod congressman from Iowa.

From Salon

This, combined with modest business investment spending, serves as the foundation for a favorable earnings environment, Haworth said.

From Salon

Related Words

• association
• charity
• company
• corporation
• endowment
• establishment
• institute
• organization
• society