basement

noun

base·​ment ˈbās-mənt 

1

: the part of a building that is wholly or partly below ground level

2

: the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture

3

: the lowest or fundamental part of something

specifically : the rocks underlying stratified rocks

4

chiefly New England : a toilet or washroom especially in a school

5

a

: a low state, rank, or condition

With their stock in the basement and red ink all over their balance sheet, many struggling [companies] are finding that fund-raising has become an exceedingly difficult proposition.

—Brad Stone

b

: the lowest place in the standings : cellar sense 2

Last year, the Phillies finished in the basement of the NL East with 68 wins, tied with the Cubs for the fewest wins in the league.

—Boston Herald

basementless

ˈbās-mənt-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• cellar

Examples of basement in a Sentence

we store our bicycles in the basement during the winter

the basement of the outdoor fountain needs a lot of restoration work

Recent Examples on the Web

JonBenét, who had competed in beauty pageants, was found dead in the early hours of Dec. 26, 1996, in the basement of her family's home in Boulder. —David K. Li, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2024

The six-year-old pageant princess’ murder has remained unsolved since her body was found in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado, on Dec. 26, 1996. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024

Their arguments about their shaky future, conducted in a small basement apartment that can barely fit the two of them, display a type of authenticity that’s hardly present in the rest of the film. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024

Down in the basement are a slew of amenities for entertaining. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

base entry 1 or base entry 2 + -ment, probably after Italian basamento

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing basement

• bargain basement
• basement membrane
• finished basement/attic
• sub-basement

Kids Definition

basement

noun

base·​ment ˈbās-mənt 

: the part of a building that is entirely or partly below ground level