foundation noun
1 organization that provides money for sth
ADJ. charitable, private
VERB + FOUNDATION establish, set up a charitable foundation established in 1983
PREP. ~ for a private foundation for sport and the arts
2 foundations: parts of a building below the ground
ADJ. deep | concrete
VERB + FOUNDATION dig, lay digging trenches and laying concrete foundations | shake, undermine The thunder seemed to shake the very foundations of the building. They had dug too deep and undermined the foundations of the house.
FOUNDATION + NOUN stone In 1853 Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the new palace.
3 basis for sth
ADJ. excellent, firm, good, secure, solid, sound, strong | insecure, shaky, weak | ideological, intellectual, philosophical, political, theoretical | economic
VERB + FOUNDATION build, lay, provide (sth with) This agreement laid a sound foundation for future cooperation between the two countries. | build on We now have a firm foundation to build on. | rest on The peace treaty rests on shaky foundations. | rock, shake, strike at, threaten, undermine an event which rocked the foundations of British politics
FOUNDATION + NOUN course, year The Fine Arts degree starts with a foundation year. | subjects All students have to do the foundation subjects of maths and English.
PREP. ~ for providing a solid foundation for this new democracy
PHRASES rock/shake sth to its foundations The scandal rocked the legal establishment to its foundations.
4 facts that show that sth is true
VERB + FOUNDATION have no malicious rumours which have no foundation
PREP. without ~ Rumours of his resignation are entirely without foundation.