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
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
Boston Herald
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 Hamptons often makes headlines for its splashy, brand-new mansions with Himalayan salt rooms and bowling alleys in the basements, but some of the South Fork’s most impressive and coveted properties are much simpler, more free-spirited, and happily rooted in the past.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Candace Craig, 46, is on trial this week on allegations of murder in connection with the death of her mother, 71-year-old Margaret Craig, whose remains were discovered by police in trash bags in the basement of her Hyattsville home in May 2023, WUSA9 reported.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Even this basement dweller is never less than watchable, but why choose it when there are much better options?
39.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
The heroic rescue of an Ohio woman from the basement of a home fully engulfed in flames was caught on body camera video.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for basement 
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Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Candace Craig, 46, is on trial this week on allegations of murder in connection with the death of her mother, 71-year-old Margaret Craig, whose remains were discovered by police in trash bags in the basement of her Hyattsville home in May 2023, WUSA9 reported.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Even this basement dweller is never less than watchable, but why choose it when there are much better options?
39.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
The heroic rescue of an Ohio woman from the basement of a home fully engulfed in flames was caught on body camera video.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for basement
Dictionary Entries Near basement
Cite this Entry
“Basement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basement. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
basement
noun
base·ment
ˈbās-mənt 
: the part of a building that is entirely or partly below ground level
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