Foundation

foundation
noun1the basis on which something is grounded; "there is little foundation for his objections"2an institution supported by an endowment3lowest support of a structure; "it was built on a base of solid rock"; "he stood at the foot of the tower"4education or instruction in the fundamentals of a field of knowledge; "he lacks the foundation necessary for advanced study"; "a good grounding in mathematics"5the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained; "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture"[syn: basis]6a woman's undergarment worn to give shape to the contours of the body[syn: foundation garment]7the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new; "she looked forward to her initiation as an *****"; "the foundation of a new scientific society"[syn: initiation]