Basis

Noun

 * 1) A starting point, base or foundation for an argument or hypothesis.
 * 2) An underlying condition or circumstance.
 * 3)  In a vector space, a linearly independent set of vectors spanning the whole vector space.
 * 4)  Amount paid for an investment, including commissions and other expenses.
 * 5)  A collection of subsets ("basis elements") of a set, such that this collection covers the set, and for any two basis elements which both contain an element of the set, there is a third basis element contained in the intersection of the first two, which also contains that element.

Adjectives for Basis
psychological; moral; social; military; commission; logical; scientific; voluntary; geographical; tangible; potential; essential; sustaining; concrete; experimental; daily; hypothetical; structural; universal; simplified; sound; economic; well-established; sensible; rationalized; secure; efficient; profitable; firm; prosperous; indispensable; healthy; solid; equitable; liberal; substantial; broad; possible; false; unsatisfactory; narrow; slippery temporary; vast; meager; factual; ample; permanent; tenuous; inevitable; reliable; pecuniary; practical; immovable; flimsy; philosophical; physical; monarchical; creditable; feudal; mechanical; theoretical; dubious; imperishable; fantastic; enduring; lowest.

Verbs for Basis
build upon—; establish a—; explain on—; form—; found on—; meet on—of; obtain—; place on—; rest on—; rise from—of; shake —; support on—; win a higher—; —consists.

Thesaurus
a priori principle, affirmation, ambition, angle, angle of vision, antecedents, apriorism, aspiration, assertion, assumed position, assumption, axiom, base, basement, bearing wall, bed, bedding, bedrock, bottom, burden, call, calling, case, categorical proposition, causation, cause, cause and effect, chapter, concern, consideration, data, determinant, determinative, element, essence, etiology, eye, factor, first principles, floor, flooring, focus of attention, focus of interest, fond, footing, foundation, frame of reference, framework, fundament, fundamental, gist, goal, good reason, ground, grounds, groundwork, guiding light, guiding star, hardpan, head, heading, heart, hypothesis, hypothesis ad hoc, ideal, infrastructure, inspiration, intention, issue, justification, law, lemma, light, line of departure, living issue, lodestar, main point, mainspring, major premise, material basis, matter, matter in hand, meat, mental outlook, minor premise, motif, motive, occasion, outlook, pavement, philosopheme, philosophical proposition, place, point, point at issue, point in question, point of departure, point of view, port of embarkation, position, postulate, postulation, postulatum, premise, presumption, presupposition, principle, problem, proposition, propositional function, question, radical, reason, reference system, regard, respect, rest, right, riprap, rock bottom, root, rubric, rudiment, sake, score, seat, side, sight, sill, situation, slant, solid ground, solid rock, source, spring, stand, standpoint, start, starting gate, starting place, starting point, starting post, statement, stereobate, stimulus, stylobate, subject, subject matter, subject of thought, substance, substratum, substruction, substructure, sumption, supposal, system, takeoff, terra firma, text, theme, theorem, thesis, topic, truth table, truth-function, truth-value, ulterior motive, underbuilding, undercarriage, undergirding, underpinning, understruction, understructure, universe, view, viewpoint, vocation, warrant

Etymology
From basis:, from  βάσις:.

Derived terms

 * basis point
 * tax basis
 * cost basis
 * basic

Synonyms

 * base