basement

noun

base·​ment ˈbās-mənt 

1

: the part of a building that is wholly or partly below ground level

2

: the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture

3

: the lowest or fundamental part of something

specifically : the rocks underlying stratified rocks

4

chiefly New England : a toilet or washroom especially in a school

5

a

: a low state, rank, or condition

With their stock in the basement and red ink all over their balance sheet, many struggling [companies] are finding that fund-raising has become an exceedingly difficult proposition.

—Brad Stone

b

: the lowest place in the standings : cellar sense 2

Last year, the Phillies finished in the basement of the NL East with 68 wins, tied with the Cubs for the fewest wins in the league.

—Boston Herald

basementless

ˈbās-mənt-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• cellar

Examples of basement in a Sentence

we store our bicycles in the basement during the winter

the basement of the outdoor fountain needs a lot of restoration work

Recent Examples on the Web

The series premiere ends, however, on a much softer note, as Robbie and Cliff run into the young Sam, the couple's son who was sleeping in the basement while his parents were murdered upstairs. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025

The crime comedy focuses on siblings Megan and Nathan who discover a dead body, long buried in their parents’ basement, sending them down a rabbit hole of crime and murder. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025

Her passport and diaries and Airpods sit in the basement in a box marked Important. —Sarah Adler september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025

One of the important facets of leadership is confidence, which is an attribute that Lovesac founder Shawn Nelson used to propel his business from making beanbag chairs in his parents’ basement to a leading manufacturer of sectional sofas. —Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

base entry 1 or base entry 2 + -ment, probably after Italian basamento

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing basement

• bargain basement
• basement membrane
• finished basement/attic
• sub-basement

Rhymes for basement

• abasement
• debasement
• defacement
• displacement
• effacement
• emplacement
• encasement
• misplacement
• outplacement
• replacement
• placement

Kids Definition

basement

noun

base·​ment ˈbās-mənt 

: the part of a building that is entirely or partly below ground level