base
nounCEFR B2High frequency
What does “base” mean in English?
basis, foundation
basis, foundation (the underlying principle or structure on which something rests; la base de la argumentación)
Example sentences
El diálogo intercultural debe construirse sobre una base de respeto mutuo, no de tolerancia condescendiente.
Intercultural dialogue must be built on a basis of mutual respect, not condescending tolerance.
Las negociaciones de paz sentaron las bases de un proceso que tardaría veinte años en culminar.
The peace negotiations laid the foundations of a process that would take twenty years to conclude.
Los argumentos sin base empírica no deben influir en las decisiones de política pública.
Arguments without an empirical basis should not influence public policy decisions.
How to use it
La base (noun, feminine) means 'basis, base, foundation, grounds'. At B2 it operates both concretely (la base de la pirámide) and abstractly across discourse, law, and analysis. Core collocations: la base de (the basis of); sobre la base de (on the basis of); sentar las bases de (to lay the foundations of); una base sólida/amplia; en base a (based on — commonly used though prescriptively contested); sin base alguna (without any basis); la base de datos (database). It is one of the most productive abstract nouns in essay and academic writing.
Common mistake
En base a (based on) is extremely common in spoken and journalistic Spanish but is criticised by prescriptivists who prefer sobre la base de or basándose en. At B2, awareness of this distinction is expected. 'Database' = base de datos (not *banco de datos in modern usage, though both exist). 'On a scientific basis' = sobre bases científicas.