Definitions for foundation
faʊnˈdeɪ ʃənfoun·da·tion

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

1. foundationnoun

   the basis on which something is grounded

   "there is little foundation for his objections"

2. foundationnoun

   an institution supported by an endowment

3. foundation, base, fundament, foot, groundwork, substructure, understructurenoun

   lowest support of a structure

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

4. foundation, groundingnoun

   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, cornerstonenoun

   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, foundationnoun

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

7. initiation, founding, foundation, institution, origination, creation, innovation, introduction, instaurationnoun

   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. foundationnoun

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

   The foundation of his institute has been wrought with difficulty.

   Etymology: From fundatio.

2. foundationnoun

   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. foundationnoun

   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. foundationnoun

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

   Etymology: From fundatio.

5. foundationnoun

   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. foundationnoun

   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. Foundationnoun

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

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

2. Foundationnoun

   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. Foundationnoun

   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. Foundationnoun

   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. Foundationnoun

   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  

Matched Categories

1. • Education
   • Financial Institution
   • Relation
   • Support
   • Undergarment

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

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

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. Baye Adofo-Wilson:

   Economic development is not about buildings, it's about relationships, couples are the foundation of communities and if we can get more of them to come to our city we can make it a happier and more enjoyable place.

2. State John Kerry:

   Progress on human rights and the rule of law will provide the foundation for a deeper and more sustainable strategic partnership, only you can decide the pace and direction of the process.

3. Lenovo Chief Executive Yang Yuanqing:

   It doesn't mean we are giving up on the China market, but we believe once we build a solid foundation in the global market, we have a better chance to win back in China.

4. Miriam Tucker:

   For us, there could be no better resolution than for a suitable museum, foundation or members of the Japanese-American community with the means to preserve this collection to come forward and secure it for education, display and research.

5. Devin Booker:

   I think we learned a lot just by being in it, it was a lot of our first times in the playoffs, let alone the Finals. But it was a great experience for us. I think we set a foundation and a base for our team, and we all have stuff to work on and we understand that.

Images & Illustrations of foundation

Popularity rank by frequency of use