foundation

noun

1. 1

   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

2. 2

   lowest support of a structure

   it was built on a base of solid rock

   he stood at the foot of the tower

3. 3

   a woman's undergarment worn to give shape to the contours of the body

4. 4

   the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained

   the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture

5. 5

   education or instruction in the fundamentals of a field of knowledge

   he lacks the foundation necessary for advanced study

   a good grounding in mathematics

6. 6

   an institution supported by an endowment

7. 7

   the basis on which something is grounded

   there is little foundation for his objections