foundation
foundation — noun
1. the occasion when someone brings an important institution, organization, or syst
the occasion when someone brings an important institution, organization, or system into existence
Sora attended the ceremony marking the foundation of the new Asian research institute.
foundation of + institution
The foundation of the company took place in a small office above a bookshop.
Historians often debate the foundation of the Roman Republic and its early rulers.
The charity has grown steadily since its foundation by a group of local doctors.
- establishment
more general; can apply to rules, systems, or institutions
- creation
focuses on the act of bringing something into existence; used for both concrete and abstract things
- institution
refers to the resulting organization, not the act of starting it
- dissolution
the act of officially ending an organization
文法句型
foundation + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — do not use 'a foundation' when you mean the act of founding. For a specific countable entity founded, see Sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. an organization that uses money from an endowment or donations to support charit
an organization that uses money from an endowment or donations to support charitable, educational, or scientific activities
The local foundation awarded scholarships to students from low-income families this year.
foundation + awards/gives + object
Shirin applied for a research grant from a foundation that supports climate science.
Several foundations joined together to fund the new community health centre in the city.
Vikram's family set up a foundation to help children in rural areas learn to read.
The foundation donated more than two million dollars to cancer research last year.
文法句型
the + foundation + preposition + noun phrase
用法筆記
Commonly used as the subject of verbs like 'award', 'fund', 'donate', and 'support'. The name of a specific foundation usually begins with a capital letter: 'the Rockefeller Foundation'.
常見錯誤
3. the opening class of primary education in the United Kingdom, for children aged
the opening class of primary education in the United Kingdom, for children aged four to five, also called Reception
Eli started foundation class in September at the primary school near his home.
foundation class — compound noun
The foundation year programme focuses on basic reading skills and counting through play.
Renata felt proud when her daughter sang a song at the foundation stage concert.
Teachers in foundation classes use stories and building blocks to help children learn numbers.
- reception
the more common name for this school year in the UK
- kindergarten
used in the US and other countries for the same age group but with a different curriculum
文法句型
foundation + noun (class/year/stage)
用法筆記
This sense is mainly used in the UK education system. Outside the UK, 'foundation year' can refer to a preparatory year at university. The compound forms 'foundation class', 'foundation stage', and 'foundation year' are common.
4. the solid underground structure, usually made of concrete or stone, that support
the solid underground structure, usually made of concrete or stone, that supports a building from below and keeps it stable
The builders poured concrete into the trenches to form the foundation of the new school.
pour concrete for the foundation of
Cracks in the foundation can cause serious damage to a house over many years.
Before construction began, workers dug deep holes for the building's concrete foundations.
The foundation of the old church was made of local stone that lasted for centuries.
An engineer inspected the foundations and said the building was safe for the new flats.
- base
more general; can refer to the bottom part of any object or structure
- footing
a technical term for the part of a foundation that spreads the weight over the ground
- substructure
the supporting structure below ground level; more formal and technical
文法句型
the foundations + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'foundations' when referring to the entire base system of a building. The singular 'foundation' can refer to the base as a whole unit or one part of it.
常見錯誤
5. a basic fact, principle, or idea that supports or underlies something and allows
a basic fact, principle, or idea that supports or underlies something and allows it to develop — for example, trust being the foundation of a good relationship, or reading skills being the foundation of learning
Trust is the foundation of every healthy relationship between two people.
foundation of [abstract]
Andrei's argument had no solid foundation in the available research data.
A good education provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling career.
The course aims to give students a strong foundation in basic mathematics and science.
Tuan believes that respect for nature should be the foundation of modern city planning.
- basis
very similar in meaning; 'basis' is slightly more common in everyday speech
- groundwork
focuses on the preparatory work done before something can develop
- bedrock
stronger, more emphatic; suggests something solid and unshakable
- cornerstone
emphasises that something is essential and comes first
- superstructure
what is built on top of the foundation; more technical
文法句型
foundation + of + abstract noun
foundation + for + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with the verbs 'provide', 'form', 'establish', and 'lay'. The preposition 'for' introduces what the foundation supports, while 'of' introduces the thing that acts as the foundation.
常見錯誤
6. used in the fixed expression 'without foundation' to mean that a claim, rumour,
used in the fixed expression 'without foundation' to mean that a claim, rumour, or belief is not based on facts and is therefore untrue
The rumours about the manager leaving the company were completely without foundation.
without foundation — fixed expression
Hassan proved that the accusations against his team were entirely without foundation.
The court decided that the complaint was without foundation and dismissed the whole case.
Media reports suggesting the politician had resigned were entirely without foundation.
- unfounded
adjective with the same meaning; more common in formal writing
- groundless
emphasises that there is no reason or evidence for a claim
- baseless
focuses on the lack of supporting facts; slightly stronger
- well-founded
meaning based on good evidence or reasons
文法句型
without + foundation
be + without + foundation
用法筆記
Only used in the negative expression 'without foundation' (or 'have no foundation'). There is no positive form — you cannot say 'a claim has foundation' in this sense; use Sense 5 instead for positive statements about factual basis.
常見錯誤
7. a cream or liquid in a skin-tone colour that you put on your face to create an e
a cream or liquid in a skin-tone colour that you put on your face to create an even surface before applying other make-up
Sari applied a light layer of foundation before putting on eye shadow and lipstick.
apply a layer of foundation
Jude bought a new foundation that matched his skin tone perfectly from the shop.
The makeup artist used foundation to cover the dark circles under the model's eyes.
Eliska prefers a liquid foundation with sun protection for her daily morning routine.
- base
short for 'base make-up'; used in the UK cosmetics industry
- face make-up
more general; includes other products like concealer and powder
- tinted moisturiser
a lighter alternative that provides less coverage than foundation
文法句型
apply + foundation
wear + foundation
foundation + noun (bottle/brand/shade)
用法筆記
Uncountable in standard use. When shopping, speakers sometimes say 'a foundation' meaning 'a type/bottle of foundation' ('I bought a new foundation'). This is an informal countable extension and is not standard in formal contexts.