ˈbeɪsɪs kɹiːˈeɪʃən fʊt faʊnˈdeɪʃən ˈfaʊndɪŋ ˈɡɹaʊndɪŋ ɪ.nɪ.ʃi.ˈeɪ.ʃən ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən ˌɪnstɪˈtuːʃən ˌɪntɹəˈdʌkʃən the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new she looked forward to her initiation as an adult the foundation of a new scientific society lowest support of a structure it was built on a base of solid rock he stood at the foot of the tower a woman's undergarment worn to give shape to the contours of the body the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture education or instruction in the fundamentals of a field of knowledge he lacks the foundation necessary for advanced study a good grounding in mathematics an institution supported by an endowment the basis on which something is grounded there is little foundation for his objections