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.

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.

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.

4. foundation(Noun)

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

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.

6. foundation(Noun)

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

Origin: From fundatio.

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

1. Foundation(noun)

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

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

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

4. Foundation(noun)

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

5. Foundation(noun)

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

Origin: [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.

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. Chelsea Clinton:

   What the Clinton Foundation has said.

2. Edmund Burke:

   Good order is the foundation of all things.

3. Monique Villa:

   The Foundation has no dealings with Iran whatsoever.

4. Sam Houston:

   Diversity of opinion is the foundation of democracy.

5. Karim Jaude:

   To be able to start a foundation, I had to make money.

Images & Illustrations of foundation

Popularity rank by frequency of use