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Dictionary:

foundation

  (foun-dā'shən) pronunciation
n.
  1. The act of founding, especially the establishment of an institution with provisions for future maintenance.
  2. The basis on which a thing stands, is founded, or is supported. See synonyms at base1.
    1. Funds for the perpetual support of an institution; an endowment.
    2. An institution founded and supported by an endowment.
  4. A foundation garment.
  5. A cosmetic base.

[Middle English fundacioun, from Latin fundātiō, fundātiōn-, from fundātus, past participle of fundāre, to lay the groundwork for. See found1.]

foundational foun·da'tion·al adj.
 
 
Thesaurus: foundation

noun

  1. The act of founding or establishing: constitution, creation, establishment, institution, organization, origination, start-up. See start/end.
  2. The lowest or supporting part or structure: base1, basis, bed, bottom, foot, footing, fundament, ground, groundwork, seat, substratum, underpinning (often used in plural). See over/under.
  3. That on which something immaterial, such as an argument or a charge, rests: base1, basis, footing, fundament, ground (often used in plural), groundwork, underpinning (often used in plural). See over/under.
  4. A fundamental principle or underlying concept: base1, basis, cornerstone, fundament, fundamental, root1, rudiment (often used in plural). See over/under.
  5. A justifying fact or consideration: basis, justification, reason, warrant. See true/false.

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: foundation

Part of a structural system that supports and anchors the superstructure of a building and transmits its loads directly to the earth. To prevent damage from repeated freeze-thaw cycles, the bottom of the foundation must be below the frost line. The foundations of low-rise residential buildings are nearly all supported on spread footings, wide bases (usually of concrete) that support walls or piers and distribute the load over a greater area. A concrete grade beam supported by isolated footings, piers, or piles may be placed at ground level, especially in a building without a basement, to support the exterior wall. Spread footings are also used — in greatly enlarged form — for high-rise buildings. Other systems for supporting heavy loads include piles, concrete caisson columns, and building directly on exposed rock. In yielding soil, a floating foundation — consisting of rigid, boxlike structures set at such a depth that the weight of the soil removed to place it equals the weight of the construction supported — may be used.

For more information on foundation, visit Britannica.com.

 
Architecture: foundation


1. Any part of a structure that serves to transmit the load to the earth or rock, usually below ground level; the entire masonry substructure.
2. The soil or rock upon which the structure rests.
3. The structure on which the base of a machine rests or to which the feet are fastened.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: foundation,
institution through which private wealth is contributed and distributed for public purpose. Foundations have existed since Greek and Roman times, when they honored deities. During the Middle Ages in Europe the church had many foundations, and in the Arab lands the waqf, or pious endowment, developed with the growth of Islam. In modern times European foundations, generally smaller than their U.S. counterparts, have been closely regulated by the state (e.g., the Nobel prizes; see Nobel, Alfred Bernhard).

In the United States there were a few early foundations, notably those endowed by Benjamin Franklin in 1791 to provide funds for loans to “young married artificers of good character” and by James Smithson in 1846 for the establishment of the Smithsonian Institution; however, it was not until after the Civil War that foundations developed rapidly. Social disintegration in the South and the establishment of early foundations such as the Peabody Education Fund and the John F. Slater Fund (both designed to provide educational opportunities for African Americans in the South) promoted the movement. The rapid growth of northern industrial enterprise in the postbellum years brought with it an accumulation of huge private fortunes. By the turn of the century, persuasive preachers of the “social gospel” urged the wealthy to meet their charitable obligations to society. Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, Sr., in the period 1896 to 1918, led the way in creating foundations that could distribute their enormous wealth in what was considered to be the most efficient and socially beneficent manner.

Favorable income tax laws in the 1940s further spurred philanthropic activity. During the early 1950s many American foundations were attacked by right-wing journalists and Congressmen; between 1950 and 1953 the House of Representatives conducted two separate investigations into “subversion and Communist penetration” of the nation's philanthropic foundations. Attacks on the foundations began to subside, however, with the passing of the so-called McCarthy era. Although a number of foundations have been restricted by their charters to specific philanthropic functions, the larger U.S. foundations have devoted themselves to broad areas (see separate articles on Lilly Endowment, Inc.; Ford Foundation; Rockefeller Foundation; Sloan Foundation; and Commonwealth Fund). The 1980s and 90s saw a doubling in the number of grantmaking foundations, including those developed by financier George Soros and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Due in part to economic prosperity, foundation giving doubled between 1990 and 1998 to $19.5 billion. In 1997, the largest recipients of grant dollars were education, health, and human services.

See also philanthropy.

Bibliography

See M. Cuninggim, Private Money and Public Service (1972); W. A. Nielsen, The Big Foundations (1972) and The Endangered Sector (1979); D. N. Layton, Philanthropy and Voluntarism: A Bibliography (1987); Foundation Center Staff, Guide to U.S. Foundations, Their Trustees, Officers, and Donors (2 vol., 1999).

 
Law Encyclopedia: Foundation
This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A permanent fund established and maintained by contributions for charitable, educational, religious, research, or other benevolent purposes. An institution or association given to rendering financial aid to colleges, schools, hospitals, and charities and generally supported by gifts for such purposes.

The founding or building of a college or hospital. The incorporation or endowment of a college or hospital is the foundation, and those who endow it with land or other property are the founders.

Preliminary questions to a witness to establish admissibility of evidence. Laying a foundation is a prerequisite to the admission of evidence at trial. It is established by testimony that identifies the evidence sought to be admitted and connects it with the issue in question.

 
Word Tutor: foundation
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: The part at the bottom that supports a wall or house. Also: The basis on which an idea or belief rests.

pronunciation A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation of your life. — The Dalai Lama.

 
Wikipedia: Foundation (disambiguation)

Foundation may refer to:

Music

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
Translations: Translations for: Foundation

Dansk (Danish)
n. - grundlæggelse, stiftelse, underlag

idioms:

  • foundation course    grundkursus
  • foundation cream    pudderunderlag
  • foundation stone    grundsten
  • shake the foundations of    ryste i grundvoldene

Nederlands (Dutch)
stichting, oprichting, grondvest, fundering, ondergrond, korset, onderrok, eerste steken in naaien, schenking, vloeibare make-up

Français (French)
n. - fondation, base, création, (fig) fondements, (Fin) fondation

idioms:

  • foundation course    (GB) année de préparation à des études supérieures
  • foundation cream    fond de teint, base de maquillage
  • foundation stone    (Constr) première pierre
  • shake the foundations of    faire trembler qch jusque dans ses fondations (littér), (fig) ébranler qch jusque dans ses fondements

Deutsch (German)
n. - Stiftung, Fundament, Gründung

idioms:

  • foundation course    Grundkurs
  • foundation cream    Grundierungscreme
  • foundation stone    Grundstein
  • shake the foundations of    etwas in seinen Grundfesten erschüttern

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ίδρυση, ίδρυμα, κληροδότημα, (οικοδ., μτφ.) θεμελίωση, πληθ. θεμέλια, βάση, υποδομή, στήριξη

idioms:

  • foundation course    σειρά μαθημάτων για την προετοιμασία για εισαγωγή σε πανεπιστήμιο
  • foundation cream    (καλλυντική) κρέμα βάσης
  • foundation stone    θεμέλιος λίθος
  • shake the foundations of    κλονίζω τα θεμέλια του...

Italiano (Italian)
fondazione, principio, fondamenta, fondotinta

idioms:

  • foundation course    corso introduttivo
  • foundation stone    pietra angolare
  • shake the foundations of    minare alla base

Português (Portuguese)
n. - fundação (f)

idioms:

  • foundation course    curso (m) básico (primeiro ano em algumas universidades)
  • foundation cream    base (f) (maquiagem)
  • foundation stone    pedra (f) fundamental
  • shake the foundations of    balançar as bases

Русский (Russian)
основание, фундамент, обоснование, базис, учреждение, фонд, подкладка

idioms:

  • foundation course    подготовительный курс
  • foundation cream    крем под пудру
  • foundation stone    краеугольный камень, основной принцип, основа
  • shake the foundations of    потрясти фундамент

Español (Spanish)
n. - institución, cimiento, fundamento, fundación, creación, establecimiento, maquillaje de fondo, crema base

idioms:

  • foundation course    curso básico
  • foundation cream    crema base
  • foundation stone    piedra angular, primera piedra
  • shake the foundations of    hacer temblar los cimientos de

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - grundande, stiftelse, grund, underlag

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
基础, 建立, 根据

idioms:

  • foundation course    基础课
  • foundation cream    粉底霜
  • foundation stone    基石, 根源, 基础
  • shake the foundations of    动摇...的基础, 因害怕而动摇...

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 基礎, 建立, 根據

idioms:

  • foundation course    基礎課
  • foundation cream    粉底霜
  • foundation stone    基石, 根源, 基礎
  • shake the foundations of    動搖...的基礎, 因害怕而動搖...

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 창설, 기본금, 근거, 재료

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 創立, 設立, 土台, 基礎, 基盤, 施設, 財団, 根拠, 基金

idioms:

  • foundation course    基礎コース
  • foundation cream    ファンデーションクリーム, 化粧下地用クリーム
  • foundation stone    礎石

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مؤسسه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ייסוד, הקמה, מוסד, קרן, יסוד, בסיס‬

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Law Encyclopedia. West's Encyclopedia of American Law. Copyright © 1998 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Foundation".  Read more
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