baseline

noun

base·​line ˈbās-ˌlīn 

often attributive

1

: a line serving as a basis

especially : one of known measure or position used (as in surveying or navigation) to calculate or locate something

2

a

: either of the lines on a baseball field that lead from home plate to first base and third base and are extended into the outfield as foul lines

b

: basepath

3

: a boundary line at either end of a court (as in tennis or basketball)

4

: a usually initial set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control

5

: a starting point

the baseline of this discussion

Synonyms

• alpha
• beginning
• birth
• commencement
• dawn
• day one
• genesis
• get-go
• git-go
• inception
• incipience
• incipiency
• kickoff
• launch
• morning
• nascence
• nascency
• onset
• outset
• start
• threshold

Examples of baseline in a Sentence

The experiment is meant only to provide a baseline for other studies.

any year or event we use as the baseline for the Renaissance is going to be at least somewhat arbitrary

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s because the baseline for this comparison is the data for 2021, which Asher and other crime experts say is unreliable because the FBI switched crime reporting systems that year and compliance by local police departments plummeted. —Matthew Crowley, Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024

At one point, a bomb targeting the local police precinct magically defuses itself, establishing a baseline that lowers the stakes of Willis and Lana’s efforts. —Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024

Goldman said its forecast would be roughly 4 percentage points higher (7% instead of 3%) if the market were not so concentrated, with a baseline range of 3% to 11% growth instead of a possible -1% to 7% over the next decade. —Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024

Risk Mitigation Leveraging historical demand plans as a baseline, AI can forecast risks such as supplier delays, stock shortages or transportation disruptions. —Ketan Anand, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

baseline

noun

base·​line ˈbās-ˌlīn 

1

: a line used as a base

2

a

: either of two straight lines on a baseball field leading from home plate to first base and third base and extending into the outfield

b

: base path

Medical Definition

baseline

noun

base·​line ˈbā-ˌslīn 

: a set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control