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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

Contrary to Russkaya Obshina's claims that it is not backed by major financiers, documents seen by BBC Eye suggest there are influential figures who have funded it via a number of charitable foundations.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Of nonprofit leaders surveyed, nearly 60% said they have had a more difficult time securing grants from foundations relative to the past and more than 40% said their existing funders have cut back.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Beyond testing the foundations of physics, the work may help researchers understand why quantum effects dominate the microscopic world while everyday objects appear normal and classical.

From Science Daily • May 11, 2026

The old wooden houses looked lopsided on their foundations after decades of long winters; poking out of the snow.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French