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foundation

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noun American English pronunciation: foundation /faʊnˈdeɪʃ(ə)n/ 
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singularfoundation
pluralfoundations
  1. 1
    [countable] [often plural] the part of a structure of a building that is below the ground and supports the rest of it

    How long will it take to finish digging the foundations?

  2. 2
    [countable] the most basic part of something from which the rest of it develops

    He believes that religion is the foundation of a civilized society.

    The first two years of study provide a solid foundation in computing.

    Their current economic prosperity rests on rather weak foundations.

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