Definitions for foundation
faʊnˈdeɪ ʃənfoun·da·tion

Princeton's WordNet(4.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. foundation(noun)

   the basis on which something is grounded

   "there is little foundation for his objections"

2. foundation(noun)

   an institution supported by an endowment

3. foundation, base, fundament, foot, groundwork, substructure, understructure(noun)

   lowest support of a structure

   "it was built on a base of solid rock"; "he stood at the foot of the tower"

4. foundation, grounding(noun)

   education or instruction in the fundamentals of a field of knowledge

   "he lacks the foundation necessary for advanced study"; "a good grounding in mathematics"

5. basis, base, foundation, fundament, groundwork, cornerstone(noun)

   the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained

   "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture"

6. foundation garment, foundation(noun)

   a woman's undergarment worn to give shape to the contours of the body

7. initiation, founding, foundation, institution, origination, creation, innovation, introduction, instauration(noun)

   the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new

   "she looked forward to her initiation as an adult"; "the foundation of a new scientific society"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. foundation(Noun)

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

   The foundation of his institute has been wrought with difficulty.

   Etymology: From fundatio.

2. foundation(Noun)

   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; groundwork; basis; underbuilding.

   Etymology: From fundatio.

3. foundation(Noun)

   The lowest and supporting part or member of a wall, including the base course and footing courses; in a frame house, the whole substructure of masonry.

   The foundations of this construction have been laid out.

   Etymology: From fundatio.

4. foundation(Noun)

   A donation or legacy appropriated to support a charitable institution, and constituting a permanent fund; endowment.

   Etymology: From fundatio.

5. foundation(Noun)

   That which is founded, or established by endowment; an endowed institution or charity.

   The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. is the parent organization of the Wiktionary collaborative project.

   Etymology: From fundatio.

6. foundation(Noun)

   Cosmetic cream roughly skin-colored, designed to make the face appear uniform in color and texture.

   Etymology: From fundatio.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Foundation(noun)

   the act of founding, fixing, establishing, or beginning to erect

   Etymology: [F. fondation, L. fundatio. See Found to establish.]

2. Foundation(noun)

   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; groundwork; basis

   Etymology: [F. fondation, L. fundatio. See Found to establish.]

3. Foundation(noun)

   the lowest and supporting part or member of a wall, including the base course (see Base course (a), under Base, n.) and footing courses; in a frame house, the whole substructure of masonry

   Etymology: [F. fondation, L. fundatio. See Found to establish.]

4. Foundation(noun)

   a donation or legacy appropriated to support a charitable institution, and constituting a permanent fund; endowment

   Etymology: [F. fondation, L. fundatio. See Found to establish.]

5. Foundation(noun)

   that which is founded, or established by endowment; an endowed institution or charity

   Etymology: [F. fondation, L. fundatio. See Found to establish.]

Freebase(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Foundation

   A foundation is a legal categorization of nonprofit organizations that will typically either donate funds and support to other organizations, or provide the source of funding for its own charitable purposes. This type of non-profit organization differs from a private foundation which is typically endowed by an individual or family.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. foundation

   In military architecture, is that part of a building which is underground, or the mass of stone, brick, etc., which supports a building, or upon which the walls of a superstructure are raised; or it is the coffer or bed dug below the level of the ground to raise a building upon.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. foundation

   A type of structure as a basis to create.

   The foundations of a house are very important.

   Submitted by MaryC on December 27, 2019  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'foundation' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2674

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'foundation' in Nouns Frequency: #909

How to pronounce foundation?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say foundation in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of foundation in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of foundation in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of foundation in a Sentence

1. De Blasio:

   We depend on our police to protect us against forces of criminality and evil, they are a foundation of our society, and when they are attacked, it is an attack on the very concept of decency.

2. Benjamin Netanyahu:

   Move your embassies to Jerusalem because it's the right thing to do, move your embassies to Jerusalem because it advances peace, and that's because you can't base peace on a foundation of lies.

3. Barbara Underwood:

   As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality, that is not how private foundations should function.

4. Elaine Chao:

   Safety is always number one. it is the foundation of everything that the department does, there are a lot of questions about these systems. What type of propulsion will be used ? Where, how far and how fast will they fly ? Will they be manned, remotely controlled or self-piloted ?

5. David Prescott:

   Collings Foundation has a very extensive safety program, they have a maintenance crew that travels with the planes.

Images & Illustrations of foundation

Popularity rank by frequency of use