Word
based
US/ˈbeɪst/
UK/bˈeɪst/
Definitions
01located in a place
A2 · Elementary
adj. living or working in a specific place.
adj. having a primary residence, headquarters, or center of operations in a specified location.
“The company is based in Tokyo but has offices all over the world.”
“Although the research team is based in London, they conduct the majority of their fieldwork in remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa.”
Usage
Usually follows the noun it describes and is preceded by a location.
02using as a foundation
B1 · Intermediate
adj. using something as the main idea or starting point for something else.
adj. founded upon or developed from a specific source, principle, or set of data.
“The movie is based on a true story that happened in the 1990s.”
“The professor's argument was based on a series of flawed assumptions regarding the economic stability of the region during the late nineteenth century.”
Usage
Commonly used in the pattern 'based on'.
03authentic and unapologetic
C1 · Advanced Slang · Informal · Humorous
adj. being yourself and not caring what other people think, even if your ideas are unpopular.
adj. denoting a person who remains true to their own values and personality without regard for social pressure or external criticism.
“I don't agree with his politics, but he is based for saying what he actually thinks.”
“The commentator's refusal to retract his statement was described as based by his followers, who valued his perceived authenticity over social approval.”
Teaching tip
This sense originated in hip-hop culture but became a major internet meme; it is often used to praise controversial opinions.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04expression of approval
C1 · Advanced Slang · Informal
interj. a word used to show you agree with or admire a bold statement.
interj. used as a standalone exclamation to signal emphatic agreement with a statement, particularly one that challenges mainstream conventions.
“A: 'I think people should spend less time on their phones.' B: 'Based.'”
“When the CEO admitted the company's failure was entirely his fault, the forum thread was immediately flooded with single-word replies of 'Based'.”
Usage
Often used as a one-word reply in online comments.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “based” in context.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/based