basal

Meaning

Adj

1. Basic, elementary; relating to, or forming, the base, or point of origin.
2. Associated with the base of an organism or structure.
3. Of a minimal level that is necessary for maintaining the health or life of an organism.
4. In a phylogenetic tree, being a group, or member of a group, which diverged earlier. The earliest clade to branch in a larger clade.

Noun

1. base, bottom, minimum
2. Any basal structure or part

Synonyms

base

basic

fundamental

primary

underlying

radical

rudimentary

bottom-dwelling

grassroots

no-frills

primal

bottom-feeding

run-of-the-mill

staple

vanilla

working

basiscopic

bottom

elementary

cardinal

essential

fiducial

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈbeɪsəɫ]

Etymology

From base + -al.