foundation

noun
found·da·tion
/ˌfaʊ̯nˈdeɪ̯ʃən/

The act of founding, fixing, establishing, or beginning to erect.

Example

“The foundation of his institute has been wrought with difficulty.”

Other meanings

That upon which anything is founded; that on which anything stands, and by which it is supported; the lowest and supporting layer of a superstructure; underbuilding.
The result of the work to begin something; that which stabilizes and allows an enterprise or system to develop.

Synonyms

base
foot

A kind of

support

Kinds of foundation

bed
raft

Related words

foundational
foundationary
foundation degree
foundationed
foundationer
foundation garment
foundationless
foundation model
foundation myth
foundation stone
foundationwear
grounation

Example sentences

“Trust is the foundation of strong relationships.”
Tatoeba · Igider · CC0

Word history

From Latin "fundātiō" (founding, foundation).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “foundation” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.