bare-bones

1 of 2

adjective

: including only what is most basic or necessary
a bare-bones email program
Skyscrapers of steel hung with curtain walls of glass, these sleek buildings were impressive monuments to bare-bones architectural integrity.C. A. Mills

bare bones

2 of 2

plural noun

: the barest essentials, facts, or elements
the bare bones of her life

Examples of bare-bones in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The bare-bones narrative often seems to drift rather than move forward with purpose, occasionally threatening to get carried off by the winds that hammer the island. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024 But big airlines soon successfully copied much of that business model with their lowest bare-bones fares. Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2024
Plural noun
And its iOS 18 release—despite the fun of better images and typing indicators—all feels very bare bones. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024 Juno was made entirely in COVID in home studios with not very much equipment, very bare bones. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bare-bones 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bare-bones.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1868, in the meaning defined above

Plural Noun

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bare-bones was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near bare-bones

bareboat

bare-bones

bare bones

Cite this Entry

“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-bones. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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