foundations

IPA/faʊndˈeɪʃənz/
KK[faʊndˈeʃənz]IPA/faʊndˈeɪʃənz/

foundations — noun

1. the main ideas, facts, or beliefs that hold up a system, argument, or way of lif

1.nounB2
Definition

the main ideas, facts, or beliefs that hold up a system, argument, or way of life.

Example

Trust and clear rules are the foundations of a healthy team.

foundations of + relationship or group

These early lessons gave Anya strong foundations in maths and science.

foundations in + subject

Common collocations
  • strong foundations
  • moral foundations
  • foundations of democracy
  • foundations in maths
Synonyms
  • basis

    a general supporting reason or fact, often less structural than foundation

  • groundwork

    stresses early preparation that later work depends on

  • underpinnings

    often used for the hidden supporting ideas behind a system

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the foundations of + system/belief/relationship

foundations in + subject

Usage Note

Often followed by 'of' or 'in' when naming the thing supported or the subject learned. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is abstract, not a physical support under a building.

Common Mistakes

The foundations on the theory are weak.
The foundations of the theory are weak.
this sense normally takes 'of', not 'on'.

2. the buried structures below ground that hold up a building or wall.

2.nounB1
Definition

the buried structures below ground that hold up a building or wall.

Example

Workers dug deep foundations before the hospital walls went up.

deep foundations

Cracks spread when rainwater weakened the house foundations last winter.

weakened the house foundations

Common collocations
  • deep foundations
  • house foundations
  • weak foundations
  • stone foundations
Synonyms
  • footings

    more technical and often refers to the concrete parts under walls or columns

  • base

    broader word for the lowest part of something

Antonyms
  • roof

    the top covering of a building rather than the lowest support

Grammar Patterns

deep foundations

damage to + foundations

Usage Note

Usually plural even for one building when talking about the structural parts under it. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers to actual construction, not supporting ideas.

Common Mistakes

The builder checked the foundations of the idea.
The builder checked the foundations of the house.
this sense is only for physical building support.

3. the formal act of setting up an institution, company, or system at the beginning

3.nounC1
Definition

the formal act of setting up an institution, company, or system at the beginning of its history.

Example

The foundation of the college in 1912 brought doctors to the town.

the foundation of + institution

This gallery shows documents from the foundation of the orchestra.

Common collocations
  • the foundation of a school
  • record the foundation of
  • foundation charter
  • mark the foundation
Synonyms
  • establishment

    formal and often used for institutions or official bodies

  • founding

    more direct and often less formal in modern English

Antonyms
  • closure

    the end of an institution rather than its beginning

Grammar Patterns

the foundation of + institution/state

mark/record + the foundation of + organization

Usage Note

This is a formal historical use and usually appears with 'of' plus the name of an institution or state. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names the starting event, not the basic ideas that support something.

Common Mistakes

The party's foundation ideas were secret.
The party's founding ideas were secret.
this sense is about the act of starting, not the ideas themselves.

4. money given and kept so a school, hospital, or similar body can be supported for

4.nounC1
Definition

money given and kept so a school, hospital, or similar body can be supported for many years.

Example

Income from the foundation paid for new beds in the children's ward.

income from the foundation

The school spends only part of its foundation each year.

Common collocations
  • foundation income
  • foundation assets
  • part of the foundation
  • protect the foundation
Synonyms
  • endowment

    the usual modern word for a permanent support fund

  • fund

    broader and less tied to long-term institutional support

Antonyms
  • debt

    money owed instead of money set aside to support something

Grammar Patterns

income from + the foundation

losses in + the foundation

Usage Note

This formal sense refers to the money itself, not to the organization that manages it. Distinguish from sense 5: sense 5 is the group, while this sense is the long-term fund.

Common Mistakes

The foundation hired three nurses.
The foundation paid for three nursing posts.
this sense means money, not the organization using it.

5. a group created with donated money and maintained by that long-term fund.

5.nounB2
Definition

a group created with donated money and maintained by that long-term fund.

Example

The foundation gives free legal advice to migrant workers.

a foundation gives + service

A local foundation rebuilt classrooms after the typhoon.

Common collocations
  • arts foundation
  • private foundation
  • foundation grant
  • foundation website
Synonyms
  • charity

    broader word for any organization that helps others

  • trust

    often used for bodies that manage money for a specific purpose

Antonyms
  • business

    a company mainly formed to make profit

Grammar Patterns

a foundation + gives/offers/builds + something

the foundation for + cause/place

Usage Note

This sense names the organization itself and often appears in titles such as 'the Ford Foundation'. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense is the institution that acts, not the money it controls.

Common Mistakes

The foundation is worth ten million, so it hired teachers.
The foundation has a ten-million-dollar fund, so it hired teachers.
when talking about the organization acting, make the group the subject, not the money.

6. a woman's garment worn under clothes to shape and support her body.

6.nounC1
Definition

a woman's garment worn under clothes to shape and support her body.

Example

The tailor suggested a smooth foundation under the silk wedding dress.

foundation under + dress

Anya bought a lighter foundation for the summer uniform.

Common collocations
  • bridal foundations
  • smooth foundation
  • wear a foundation
  • foundation under a dress
Synonyms
  • shapewear

    modern everyday term for clothing that smooths the body shape

  • support garment

    broader phrase for clothing that shapes or supports the body

Antonyms
  • outerwear

    clothes worn on the outside rather than underneath

Grammar Patterns

wear + a foundation + under + dress/skirt

bridal foundations

Usage Note

This is an older fashion term and is often replaced today by 'shapewear' in everyday English. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is clothing, not structural support under a building.

Common Mistakes

The builder checked the foundation before pouring concrete.
The builder checked the foundations before pouring concrete.
building support belongs to sense 2, not this clothing sense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For abstract support, foundation suggests the deepest layer that keeps an idea, relationship, or institution standing over time. Basis is a broader word for the reason or fact something depends on, so it often fits arguments and decisions more than long-term structures. Groundwork points to the early practical preparation that makes later success possible, such as training, planning, or research. Underpinning is more formal and often names hidden supporting ideas inside a theory or policy. You can say trust is the foundation of a marriage, evidence is the basis for a claim, volunteers laid the groundwork for the festival, and legal principles are the underpinnings of the reform.

foundation ↗basis ↗groundwork ↗underpinning ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • lay the foundation for
  • solid foundations
  • deep foundations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinOld FrenchMiddle English

Foundation comes from the verb found, meaning to set something up. That verb goes back through Old French and Medieval Latin to the Latin word fundus, meaning the bottom or base. The history matches the modern senses well: a foundation can be the bottom support under a building, the basic support behind an idea, or the act of starting an institution.