baseline
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a starting point or standard used to compare other things.
n.a datum or standard used as a basis for calculation, comparison, or measurement.
Simple“We need to establish a baseline for his health before we start the new treatment.”
In context“The researchers established a baseline by measuring the participants' heart rates while at rest before introducing any external stressors.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'establish', 'set', or 'provide'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a fixed version of a project or software that is used as a reference point.
n.a documented configuration of a product or process at a specific point in time, used as a reference for future changes.
Simple“The team saved the current code as a baseline before adding new features.”
In context“Once the requirements were finalised, the project manager set the baseline to ensure that any subsequent scope creep could be accurately tracked.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.the line at the very back of a sports court, like in tennis.
n.the line at the farthest ends of a court indicating the boundary of the field of play.
Simple“The tennis player stood behind the baseline to serve the ball.”
In context“The ball landed just inside the baseline, catching the opponent off guard and securing the final point of the set.”
Synonymsboundaryback line - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.the invisible line that letters sit on when you write.
n.the imaginary line upon which most characters in a typeface rest and below which descenders extend.
Simple“The designer adjusted the baseline to make the text easier to read.”
In context“In professional typesetting, maintaining a consistent baseline across columns is essential for a clean and balanced page layout.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to measure something at the start so you can see changes later.
v.to provide or establish a baseline for future measurement or comparison.
Simple“It is important to baseline the system performance before the upgrade.”
In context“The engineering team spent a week baselining the existing infrastructure to quantify the efficiency gains promised by the new hardware.”
Synonyms
“Scientists do not even have reliable baseline data on insect populations across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, including the cliff bee, making it almost impossible to measure how fast things are changing.”
“El Niño occurs when water temperatures rise at least 0.5°C above the baseline.”
From base + line.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.