based definition

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beɪst/
• Rhymes: -eɪst

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: based
• Homophone: baste

Etymology 1

base +‎ -ed

Adjective

based (comparative more based, superlative most based)

1. Founded on; having a basis; often used in combining forms.

   That was a soundly based argument.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

based

1. simple past tense and past participle of base
   1. Being derived from (usually followed by on or upon).

      It's a new film based on a best-selling novel.

   2. Having a base

      The ladder is based on the even sidewalk for stability.

   3. Having a base of operations.

      The company is based in New York.

Etymology 2

A reference to freebase cocaine, via basehead. Coined by American musician Lil B to describe his lifestyle.

Adjective

based (comparative more based, superlative most based)

1. (slang, of a person) Not caring what others think about one's personality, style, or behavior; focused on maintaining individuality.
   • 2010 June 10, Lil B, Complex.com‎^[1]:

     Based means being yourself. Not being scared of what people think about you. Not being afraid to do what you wanna do. Being positive. […] Based is positive.

   • 2012, Duncan Cooper, "Based Scripture: The Full Transcript of Lil B’s Lecture at NYU", The Fader, 12 April 2012:

     You have to work as a human with empathy and love in your heart, staying positive and staying based and staying normal.

2. (Internet slang, alt-right, originally 4chan) Admirable for rejecting liberalism or left-wing values.

   Synonym: unwoke

   based and redpilled

   • 2019, Kira Stalker, "The Fracturing of the Alt Right: Conflicting Online Discourses Of White Nationalist Communities", thesis submitted to George Mason University, page 139:

     Those who are against Trump are not based at all. On February 16th, The Donald users comment on a “based” post in r/DankMemes which uses a classic Squidward sleeping meme to criticize those who are upset by Chris Pratt going to “church” (one which was purportedly anti-LGBT) but “ok” with sex predators in Hollywood: […]

   • 2019, anonymous, quoted in Cathrine Thorleifsson, "From cyberfascism to terrorism: On 4chan/pol/ culture and the transnational production of memetic violence", Nations and Nationalism, Volume 28, Issue 1, page 293:

     His [Brenton Tarrant's] meme-themed shooting greatly represents the spirit of the aussie people, in the sense of shitposting until their last moment, based and redpilled he is.

   • 2020, David Rubin, Don't Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason, unnumbered page:

     Then, in the same month, noted feminist Christina Hoff Sommers was branded “white supremacy-adjacent” by feminist Roxane Gay. Her reasoning? That our beloved “Based Mom” once appeared at an event with Milo Yiannopoulos and didn't disavow him enough.

3. (Internet slang) Admirable; praiseworthy.

   Antonyms: cringe, unbased

   OP is based as fuck

Translations

Anagrams

• Abeds, adebs, beads, dBASE