baseline

noun

base·​line ˈbās-ˌlīn 

often attributive

1

: a line serving as a basis

especially : one of known measure or position used (as in surveying or navigation) to calculate or locate something

2

a

: either of the lines on a baseball field that lead from home plate to first base and third base and are extended into the outfield as foul lines

b

: basepath

3

: a boundary line at either end of a court (as in tennis or basketball)

4

: a usually initial set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control

5

: a starting point

the baseline of this discussion

Synonyms

• alpha
• beginning
• birth
• commencement
• dawn
• day one
• genesis
• get-go
• git-go
• inception
• incipience
• incipiency
• kickoff
• launch
• morning
• nascence
• nascency
• onset
• outset
• start
• threshold

Examples of baseline in a Sentence

The experiment is meant only to provide a baseline for other studies.

any year or event we use as the baseline for the Renaissance is going to be at least somewhat arbitrary

Recent Examples on the Web

Performance-Based Budgeting Traditionally, many governments practice incremental budgeting, where last year's budget serves as the baseline for the next, with only minor adjustments. —Tom Amburgey, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

All of this leads to poor-quality sleep and the need for more than the baseline for your age. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024

Trump has proposed a baseline tariff policy for countries across the board and has largely floated 10% tariffs. —Zach Halaschak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Oct. 2024

For now, the best approach is to establish a baseline and then look for changes, Sargent says. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

baseline

noun

base·​line ˈbās-ˌlīn 

1

: a line used as a base

2

a

: either of two straight lines on a baseball field leading from home plate to first base and third base and extending into the outfield

b

: base path

Medical Definition

baseline

noun

base·​line ˈbā-ˌslīn 

: a set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control