basic
adjective
of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental.
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basic
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Slang dictionary results for basic
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basic
1 American
[bey-sik]
/ ˈbeɪ sɪk /
adjective
-
of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental.
a basic principle; the basic ingredient.
- Synonyms:
- underlying, basal, primary, key, essential, elementary
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Chemistry.
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Metallurgy. noting, pertaining to, or made by a steelmaking process basic process in which the furnace or converter is lined with a basic or nonsiliceous material, mainly burned magnesite and a small amount of ground basic slag, to remove impurities from the steel.
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Geology. (of a rock) having relatively little silica.
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Military.
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primary.
basic training.
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of lowest rank.
airman basic.
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Slang.
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(especially of a female) characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior.
those basic girls who follow trends.
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(of things) boringly predictable or unoriginal.
His lyrics are just so basic.
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noun
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Military.
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a soldier or airman receiving basic training.
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Often basics. something that is fundamental or basic; an essential ingredient, principle, procedure, etc..
to learn the basics of music; to get back to basics.
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Slang. a person, especially a female, who is boringly predictable or unoriginal.
BASIC
2
American
[bey-sik]
/ ˈbeɪ sɪk /
noun
Computers.
BASIC
1
British
/ ˈbeɪsɪk /
noun
basic
2
British
/ ˈbeɪsɪk /
adjective
-
of, relating to, or forming a base or basis; fundamental; underlying
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elementary or simple
a few basic facts
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excluding additions or extras
basic pay
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chem
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of, denoting, or containing a base; alkaline
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(of a salt) containing hydroxyl or oxide groups not all of which have been replaced by an acid radical
basic lead carbonate, 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2
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metallurgy of, concerned with, or made by a process in which the furnace or converter is made of a basic material, such as magnesium oxide
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(of such igneous rocks as basalt) containing between 52 and 45 per cent silica
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military primary or initial
basic training
noun
BASIC
Scientific
/ bā′sĭk /
Usage
What else does basic mean? In slang, basic characterizes someone or something as unoriginal, unexceptional, and mainstream. A basic girl—or basic b*tch as she is often insulted—is said to like pumpkin spice lattes, UGG boots, and taking lots of selfies, for instance.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of basic1
First recorded in 1835–45; base 1 + -ic
Origin of BASIC2
First recorded in 1965–70; B(eginner's) A(ll-purpose) S(ymbolic) I(nstruction) C(ode)
Explanation
What's basic is what's essential, at the root or base of things. If you've got a basic understanding of differential equations, you can handle simple problems but might get tripped up by more difficult ones. You can also speak of the basics. If your kitchen is outfitted with just the basics, you've got some bowls and pots and pans, but you probably don't have an apple corer or a candy thermometer. If you're hitchhiking across the Gobi Desert, you'll want to have the basics of conversational Mongolian down. You've probably heard basic in chemistry class, too: it's the opposite of acidic. A basic solution has a pH greater than 7 and turns litmus paper blue.
Vocabulary lists containing basic
"Hitching a Ride"
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Structure and Properties of Matter - Middle School
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American Naturalization Test, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meanwhile, a basic three-month subscription will go up by £3, $3, and €3 to £21.99, $27.99, and €27.99 respectively.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Sound Wave has said it holds the basic patents in Japan and the U.S. for a method to treat early Alzheimer’s disease with low intensity pulsed ultrasound.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
In Afghanistan today, a staggering three in four people cannot meet their basic needs, according to the UN.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Chinese officials were unsure what to make of Pete Hegseth’s presence — whether it was meant to convey a softer stance, a hardening one, or simply an ignorance of basic diplomatic protocol.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
“However, you have our most basic unit. Would you like us to upgrade her software, or adjust her settings, or polish out these scratches?”
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.