Basic meaning

What does “basic” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“basic” is a noun and adjective with 6 meanings. Its most common meaning is: a popular programming language that is relatively easy to learn; an acronym for beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code; no longer in general use.

basic

noun

  1. a popular programming language that is relatively easy to learn; an acronym for beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code; no longer in general use

  2. (usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant

    Synonymsstaple

adjective

  1. pertaining to or constituting a base or basis

    “a basic fact”

    “the basic ingredients”

    Oppositesincidental
  2. reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality

    “a basic story line”

    “a canonical syllable pattern”

  3. serving as a base or starting point

    “a basic course in Russian”

    “basic training for raw recruits”

    Synonymsintroductory
  4. of or denoting or of the nature of or containing a base

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University