basic

adjective

1. 1

   Necessary, essential for life or some process.

   Flour is a basic ingredient of bread.

   Over the past few weeks, U.S. Coast Guard service members, civilian employees and their families have had to scramble to pay for basic necessities. Many have taken donations of food and toiletries from their communities, and frantically called their banks and credit unions to try to avert financial disaster.

   Having access to the truth is a basic right of the general public.

2. 2

   Elementary, simple, fundamental, merely functional.

   The Hotel Sparta’s accommodation is very basic.

3. 3

   Of or pertaining to a base; having a pH greater than 7.

4. 4

   informalUnremarkable or uninteresting; boring; uncool.

   I'm not saying people are jealous of Hathaway because she is so perfect. Yes, she does have it all — husband, healthy career, good looks. But she doesn't do anything in an "awesome" way. She's basic.

   And what can be said about Ginny? She’s basic. My guess is that she spends her time drinking pumpkin spice lattes and watching “Pretty Little Liars.” The Chosen One is way out of her quidditch league.

   "I couldn't get into it, I could barely understand what he's saying – it had too much cursing and explicit language," said Cortnee Brandon. "I think his lyrics are easy...he's basic. Kendrick Lamar is kind of overrated."

   It [the online far right] feels full of righteous contempt for anything mainstream, conformist, basic.

noun

1. 1

   A necessary commodity, a staple requirement.

   Rice is a basic for many Asian villagers.

2. 2

   An elementary building block, e.g. a fundamental piece of knowledge.

   Arithmetic is a basic for the study of mathematics.

   I know the basics of sailing and would love to learn more.

3. 3

   Basic training.

   The drill sergeants gave him hell in basic.

   When I shipped out for basic, the Orbital Defense Grid was all theory and politics.

Forms

plural

basics

comparative

more basic

superlative

most basic