simple and without extra features or decoration
She prefers a basic black dress that she can wear anywhere.
We stayed in a basic cabin with no electricity.
the simplest and most essential facts, ideas, or skills of a subject
The course starts with the basics of first aid.
Before you cook complex dishes, master the basics like boiling an egg.
forming the essential foundation of something; fundamental
Before diving into advanced moves, the coach taught the swimmers the basic techniques.
Everyone must understand the basic safety rules before entering the lab.
✦ From base + -ic, first recorded in English in the 19th century.
in chemistry, having the properties of a base; alkaline
Ammonia solution is basic and can be used to neutralize acids.
Litmus paper turns blue in a basic environment.
informal, disapproving – considered unoriginal, mainstream, or predictable
He called the coffee shop too basic because they only served vanilla lattes.
"Pumpkin spice again? You're so basic!" her friend teased.
✦ Gained its present slang sense in early 2000s American English, emerging from college and internet culture.
in the most important or fundamental way; essentially
The two smartphones are basically identical; the difference is only the camera.
Water and ice are basically the same substance in different states.
✦ Formed from basic + -ally, first recorded in the early 19th century to mean “in a basic manner.”
