foundations

NOUN

basis for something physical or mental

Synonyms

STRONGEST

authority base bedrock groundwork infrastructure support

STRONG

ABCs basics bed bottom foot footing ground guts heart justification nitty-gritty nub prop reason root stay substratum substructure understructure

WEAK

bottom line brass tacks nuts and bolts underpinning

Antonyms

STRONG

cowardice exterior exteriority fear outside top

NOUN

established institution

Synonyms

STRONGEST

association charity company corporation endowment establishment institute organization society

STRONG

guild inauguration plantation settlement trusteeship

WEAK

set-up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some of those cruises are also famous in the scientific literature—one of the foundations of modern contact tracing comes from an outbreak of gastroenteritis on a cruise ship.

From Slate • May 16, 2026

The federally mandated payout rate for foundations is 5%.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

"Over time you get a clear picture of what it looks like, some positives, some negatives. I need a bit more laid-in foundations to make decisions, than just one or two games."

From BBC • May 9, 2026

"There are not many foundations in the world which are supporting research on these types of fundamental questions about the universe, space, time, and matter," says Curceanu.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2026

In the midst of the valley stood the black foundations of the western watch-tower.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien