foundation
noun
[ faʊnˈdeɪʃ(ə)n ]
• the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level.
• "foundations were being dug for a block of flats"
• an underlying basis or principle.
• "this idea is the foundation of all modern economics"
Similar:
basis,
starting point,
base,
point of departure,
beginning,
premise,
fundamental point/principle,
principal constituent,
main ingredient,
principles,
fundamentals,
rudiments,
cornerstone,
core,
heart,
thrust,
essence,
kernel,
nub,
underpinning,
groundwork,
• the action of establishing an institution or organization.
• "the foundation of a civil service college"
Similar:
founding,
establishing,
setting up,
starting,
initiation,
institution,
forming,
creation,
launch,
flotation,
origination,
development,
inauguration,
constitution,
endowment,
Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French fondation, from Latin fundatio(n- ), from fundare ‘to lay a base for’ (see found2).
