foundation

Universal Words noun 1 [C,usually pl.] a layer of bricks, CONCRETE, etc. that forms the solid underground base of a building: The builders are now beginning to lay the foundations of the new school. * The explosion shook the foundations of the houses nearby. 2 [C,U] a principle, an idea or a fact that sth is based on and that it grows from: Respect and friendship provide a solid foundation for marriage. * The rumour is totally without foundation (= not based on any facts). * These stories have no foundation (= are not based on any facts). 3 [C] an organization that is established to provide money for a particular purpose, for example for scientific research or charity: The money will go to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. 4 [U] the act of starting a new institution or organization: The organization has grown enormously since its foundation in 1955. * She used the money to go towards the foundation of a special research group. 5 [U] a skin-coloured cream that is put on the face underneath other MAKE-UP IDIOMS shake / rock the foundations of sth