based

Founded on; having a basis; often used in combining forms.

Adjective slang

  1. Not caring what others think about one's personality, style, or behavior; focused on maintaining individuality.
    • Based means being yourself. Not being scared of what people think about you. Not being afraid to do what you wanna do. Being positive. […] Based is positive. - 2010 June 10, Lil B, Complex.com:
    • You have to work as a human with empathy and love in your heart, staying positive and staying based and staying normal. - 2012 April 12, Duncan Cooper, “Based Scripture: The Full Transcript of Lil B’s Lecture at NYU”,...

    Synonyms: maverick

  2. Admirable; praiseworthy, especially if simultaneously unpopular or controversial.
    • I hate l'Académie Française, but their spelling reforms are kind of based. - 2023 August 9, human1011, Hot Takes on Languages! #linguistics:
    • I officially approve of North Korea. This is... this is incredibly based. - 2024 June 7, Eric Parker, Connecting North Korea's Windows XP Clone to the Internet:
    • OP is based as hell

    Antonyms: cringe unbased debased base

    1. (Internet slang, originally 4chan slang) Admirable for rejecting political correctness or socially progressive values.

      • based and redpilled
      • My last account got banned for being too based.
      • Those who are against Trump are not based at all. On February 16th, The Donald users comment on a “based” post in r/DankMemes which uses a classic Squidward sleeping meme to criticize those who are upset by Chris Pratt...

      Synonyms: unwoke

      Antonyms: cringe unbased debased base

Origin

A reference to freebase cocaine, via basehead. Coined by American rapper from California Lil B in 2010 to describe his lifestyle.

Forms

more based most based

Derived

holy based

Adjective Entry 2

  1. Founded on; having a basis; often used in combining forms.
    • That was a soundly based argument.
    • The company opted for a subscription-based business model.

Origin

Etymology tree English base English -ed English based From base + -ed.

Forms

more based most based

Hyponyms

bio-based biobased broad-based carbon-based chametz-based character-based class-based coal-based computer-based computerbased e-based event-based faith-based geobased landbased magnetism-based interaction capture merit-based need-based object-based paper-based plant-based prototype-based rail-based rangebased

Derived

basedness based on case-based reasoning competition-based learning context-based learning design-based learning evidence-based evidence-based medicine holy mother of based inquiry-based learning model-based design model-based testing name-based type system outbased physically based animation project-based learning prototype-based scripting language rules-based order speech-based picking timestamp-based concurrency control

Interjection

  1. Indicating emphatic approval of a statement or opinion, often a controversial or unpopular one.
    • —There is no ethics in communism—Based.

    Synonyms: damn straight word right on

Verb

  1. simple past and past participle of base
    • It's a new film based on a best-selling novel.

    1. Being derived from (usually followed by on or upon).

    2. Having a base.

      • The ladder is based on the even sidewalk for stability.

    3. Having a base of operations.

      • The company is based in New York.