Meaning of basics in English

basics

noun [ plural ]

/ˈbeɪ.sɪks/ us

/ˈbeɪ.sɪks/

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the simplest and most important facts, ideas, or things connected with something:

I really must learn the basics of first aid.

The school can't even afford basics such as books and paper.

Synonyms

essential 
first principles UK
foundation (BASIC FACT)
fundamentals
principle (IDEA)
the rudiments

back to basics

If you get back to basics, you start to give your attention to the simplest and most important matters after ignoring them for a while:

This is all part of a new back-to-basics campaign to raise standards in schools.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Information and messages

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(Definition of basics from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

basics | American Dictionary

basics

plural noun

/ˈbeɪ·sɪks/

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the central and most important principles of something:

Pablo has promised to teach me the basics of sailing.

(Definition of basics from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

basics | Business English

basics

noun [ plural ]

/ˈbeɪsɪks/ us

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things that people need to learn, know, or do before they can achieve something:

Success is achieved by focusing on the basics - quality, innovation, and customer care.

learn/master the basics (of sth) It shouldn't take long to learn the basics of the new software.

Building up the organization didn't happen overnight - it took years to get the basics right.

things that people need in order to be able to live comfortably, work effectively, etc.:

What proportion of your income do you spend on basics such as food and heating?

get/go back to basics

to spend time and effort doing the simplest but most important things, especially after an unsuccessful period of time spent doing things that are more complicated but less important:

We need to get back to basics and start delivering on promises to customers.

(Definition of basics from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of basics

basics

The complexities of ballroom dance pedagogy created significant obstacles for students who wished to learn the basics quickly.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Money arguably determines the very basics of democracy.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The second chapter reviews the basics of organic chemistry and describes the origin and properties of the main classes of organic compounds.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In this ar ticle, the basics of optical field ionization that are relevant in analytical or numerical studies of intense laser-matter interactions are reviewed.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Section 4.1 presents a situated framework of design from the basics described in this paper.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

We mention as references five major studies in the field, where account of these basics is to be found.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Although there is nothing desperately original about the basics of the exercises, they are well-dressed, with an historical twist.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Better to have done less advanced work, and had more time to consolidate the basics.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The contract covers the basics plus unlimited nursing care.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In the next section, therefore, we illustrate the basics of our approach using toy grammars in potentially excruciating detail.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Nervous system engulfment basics: what gets engulfed, why, and how?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

On the other hand, once the basics are mastered, a lot may be accomplished speedily.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Screening depression in primary care: back to the basics with a new tool.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

I find that quite rewarding really because it's the one time as a community nurse you're back doing the basics hands on.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

I would say that they are the basics that all good private service providers get right, except that they often fail to as well.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of basics?