51Թ

Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

basic

1

[ bey-sik ]

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental:

    a basic principle; the basic ingredient.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

  2. Chemistry.
    1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a base. bases.
    2. not having all of the hydroxyls of the base replaced by the acid group, or having the metal or its equivalent united partly to the acid group and partly to oxygen.
  3. 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. Compare acid ( def 9 ).
  4. Geology. (of a rock) having relatively little silica.
  5. Military.
    1. primary:

      basic training.

    2. of lowest rank:

      airman basic.

  6. Slang.
    1. (especially of a female) characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior:

      those basic girls who follow trends.

    2. (of things) boringly predictable or unoriginal:

      His lyrics are just so basic.



noun

  1. Military.
    1. a soldier or airman receiving basic training.
  2. 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.

  3. Slang. a person, especially a female, who is boringly predictable or unoriginal.

BASIC

2

[ bey-sik ]

noun

Computers.
  1. a widely adopted programming language that uses English words, punctuation marks, and algebraic notation to facilitate communication between the operator or lay user and the computer.

BASIC

1

/ ˈɪɪ /

noun

  1. a computer programming language that uses common English terms
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

basic

2

/ ˈɪɪ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or forming a base or basis; fundamental; underlying
  2. elementary or simple

    a few basic facts

  3. excluding additions or extras

    basic pay

  4. chem
    1. of, denoting, or containing a base; alkaline
    2. (of a salt) containing hydroxyl or oxide groups not all of which have been replaced by an acid radical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

  5. 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
  6. (of such igneous rocks as basalt) containing between 52 and 45 per cent silica
  7. military primary or initial

    basic training

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. usually plural a fundamental principle, fact, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

BASIC

/ ĭ /

  1. A simple programming language developed in the 1960s that is widely taught to students as a first programming language.
Discover More

Other 51Թ Forms

  • ԴDz·s adjective
  • ܲȴ-s adjective
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

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)
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of basic1

C20: acronym of b ( eginner's ) a ( ll-purpose ) s ( ymbolic ) i ( nstruction ) c ( ode )
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

They say the company that owns the building has stopped responding to requests for basic maintenance in recent months, since informing them that it will not renew their rental contracts.

From

It’s boorish and grating, assuming its audience will lap up whatever tasteless parody it puts out for them just because it aligns with popular films that share its basic themes.

From

Shoes, one of the most basic necessities and also one of Americans' biggest splurges, could become more expensive, including the beloved sneakers Nike Air Force 1s and Adidas Sambas.

From

The basic facts of their first encounter are well known.

From

As to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I think, if anything, the history of the suffragist movement shows that you can make alliances with people, but you do not compromise on basic human rights.

From

Advertisement

Related 51Թs

Discover More

About This 51Թ

What else does basic mean?

In slang, basic characterizes someone or something as unoriginal, unexceptional, and mainstream. A basic —o basic b*tch as she is often insulted—is said to like pumpkin spice lattes, UGG boots, and taking lots of selfies, for instance.

Where did the term basic come from?

According to Green’s Dictionary of Slang, basic emerges as slang for someone or something as being “unexciting, unexceptional, or uneventful” in the 1970s. This is an outgrowth of the negative sense of basic as “plain and simple”

The slang especially stuck to women. In their 1984 song “Meeting in the Ladies Room,” the R&B girl group Klymaxx call a woman basic for making moves on another’s boyfriend.

The 2000s saw the rise of the term basic b*tch, or a woman who is uninteresting and mainstream in her tastes, interests, style, or personality. Comedian Lil Duval had a 2009 video about the basic b*tch. The 2011 song “Gucci Gucci” by Kreayshawn features the hook: “And we stunting like / Gucci Gucci, Louis Louis, Fendi Fendi, Prada / Basic b*tches wear that shit so I don’t even bother.”

Basic has since become associated with unlikeable, predictable, and ordinary things, especially associated with young white women.

How to use the term basic

While basic can describe anyone or anything considered disagreeably mainstream, it especially insults, as noted, young white women. As basic and basic b*tch spread in popular culture, some women aren’t oblivious to their supposed basic-ness but ironically embrace it.

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement