1
a
: relating to, situated at, or forming the base
b
: arising from the base of a stem
basal leaves
2
a
: of or relating to the foundation, base, or essence : fundamental
b
: of, relating to, or being essential for maintaining the fundamental vital activities of an organism : minimal
a basal diet
c
: used for teaching beginners
basal readers
basally
adverb
Examples of basal in a Sentence
many students lacked even a basal familiarity with the topic
Recent Examples on the Web
At that point, rather than consulting someone who obsesses over how caffeine focuses us by blocking adenosine receptors in the basal forebrain, philosophers should hold sway.
—
Jessica Riskin, The New York Review of Books, 3 Apr. 2025
Plants produce a basal rosette of downy foliage in their first year and flower in the second season, after which the plants typically die out.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
For instance, the basal heights of children in India differed by more than a standard deviation from those of children in Haiti.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
But a host of other parts of the brain—including the fornix, basal ganglia, thalamus, amygdala, caudate nucleus, and prefrontal cortex—also play a role in consolidating and storing longer term memories.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for basal
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Jessica Riskin, The New York Review of Books, 3 Apr. 2025
Plants produce a basal rosette of downy foliage in their first year and flower in the second season, after which the plants typically die out.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
For instance, the basal heights of children in India differed by more than a standard deviation from those of children in Haiti.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
But a host of other parts of the brain—including the fornix, basal ganglia, thalamus, amygdala, caudate nucleus, and prefrontal cortex—also play a role in consolidating and storing longer term memories.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for basal
Cite this Entry
“Basal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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Medical Definition
1
: relating to, situated at, or forming the base
2
: of, relating to, or essential for maintaining the fundamental vital activities of an organism (as respiration, heartbeat, or excretion)
a basal diet
see basal metabolism
3
: serving as or serving to induce an initial comatose or unconscious state that forms a basis for further anesthetization
basal narcosis
a basal anesthetic
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