baseline

[beys-lahyn]

noun

1. Baseball.,  the area between bases base bases basis within which a base runner must keep when running from one base bases to another.

2. Tennis.,  the line at each end of a tennis court, parallel to the net, that marks the in-bounds limit of play.

3. (in perspective drawing) a horizontal line in the immediate foreground formed by the intersection of the ground plane and the picture plane.

4. a basic standard or level; guideline.

   to establish a baseline for future studies.

5. a specific value or values that can serve as a comparison or control.

6. Typography.,  the imaginary line on which the bottoms of primary letters align.

7. Surveying.,  triangulation1

8. Electronics.,  a horizontal or vertical line formed on the face of a cathode-ray tube by the sweep of the scanning dot.

9. Naval Architecture.,  a line on the body plan or sheer plan of a hull, representing a horizontal reference plane for vertical dimensions.

adjective

1. basic or essential.

baseline

/ ˈbeɪsˌlaɪn /

noun

1. surveying a measured line through a survey area from which triangulations are made

2. an imaginary line, standard of value, etc, by which things are measured or compared

3. a line at each end of a tennis court that marks the limit of play

Word History and Origins

Origin of baseline¹

First recorded in 1740–50; base ¹ + line ¹

Example Sentences

DeSilva, the Railroad Commission’s spokesperson, defended using 2019 as the baseline because “about five years ago we began taking proactive steps to reduce flaring in Texas.”

From Salon

Osaka has benefitted from a largely more restrained approach, wisely picking her moments to use her baseline power effectively, while trying to draw mistakes from her opponents.

From BBC

The first stage is for the OBR to deliver a new baseline forecast for the UK later this month, which will incorporate a critical new assessment of long-term productivity.

From BBC

They see it as a legitimate tactic against an opponent who is stood deep behind the baseline.

From BBC

She dominated the baseline exchanges, hitting deep groundstrokes to trap her opponent at the back of the court and regularly attacked the net to keep her opponent off-balance.

From BBC

Related Words

• control 
• criterion 
• guideline 
• measure 
• standard