basic
adjective
uk
/ˈbeɪ.sɪk/ us
/ˈbeɪ.sɪk/basic adjective (SIMPLE)
B1
He only has a basic command of English (= he only knows the most important and simple words and expressions).
Synonyms
- basicI just need some basic information.
- elementaryI started an elementary-level art history course.
- fundamentalOne of the most fundamental principles of the rule of law is that one person cannot be punished for the actions of another.
- rudimentaryThey have only the most rudimentary grasp of the language.
- essentialWe have been able to determine the essential nature of a healthy diet.
- underlyingThe underlying idea is that having freedom is valuable.
slang disapproving
All the music they like is so basic.
- They lack basic foodstuffs, such as bread and milk.
- The course gives you basic instruction in car maintenance.
- She's teaching me some basic dance steps.
- Twice a week the children are tested in basic mathematical skills such as addition and subtraction.
- The basic facts of the story are starting to emerge though the details are still unclear.
- 101
- at bottom idiom
- backward
- backwardly
- backwardness
- homespun
- inelegant
- inelegantly
- low-tech
- Mickey Mouse
- primordially
- rough and ready idiom
- roughly
- roughness
- rudely
- simplex
- skeletally
- stone-age
- ultrabasic
- vanilla
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
basic adjective (CHEMICAL)
chemistry
specialized
- Amino acids show both acidic and basic properties, depending on conditions.
- The oceans are undergoing a pH shift from slightly basic to slightly less basic.
basic adjective (ROCK)
geology
specialized
