based

• IPA^(key): /beɪst/
• Rhymes: -eɪst

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: based
• Homophone: baste

base +‎ -ed

based (comparative more based, superlative most based)

1. Founded on; having a basis; often used in combining forms.

   That was a soundly based argument.

based

1. simple past and past participle of base
   1. Being derived from (usually followed by on or upon).

      It's a new film based on a best-selling novel.

   2. Having a base

      The ladder is based on the even sidewalk for stability.

   3. Having a base of operations.

      The company is based in New York.

A reference to freebase cocaine, via basehead. Coined by American rapper from California (born 1989) Lil B to describe his lifestyle.

based (comparative more based, superlative most based)

1. (slang, of a person) Not caring what others think about one's personality, style, or behavior; focused on maintaining individuality.

   Synonym: maverick

   • 2010 June 10, Lil B, Complex.com‎:

     Based means being yourself. Not being scared of what people think about you. Not being afraid to do what you wanna do. Being positive. […] Based is positive.

   • 2012 April 12, Duncan Cooper, “Based Scripture: The Full Transcript of Lil B’s Lecture at NYU”, in The Fader:

     You have to work as a human with empathy and love in your heart, staying positive and staying based and staying normal.

2. (Internet slang, sometimes humorous) Admirable; praiseworthy, especially if the thing that is considered "praiseworthy" is unpopular or controversial.

   Antonyms: cringe, unbased

   OP is based as hell

   1. (Internet slang, originally 4chan) Admirable for rejecting liberalism or socially progressive values.

      Synonym: unwoke

      based and redpilled

      My last account got banned for being too based.

      • 2019, Kira Stalker, "The Fracturing of the Alt Right: Conflicting Online Discourses Of White Nationalist Communities", thesis submitted to George Mason University, page 139:

        Those who are against Trump are not based at all. On February 16th, The Donald users comment on a “based” post in r/DankMemes which uses a classic Squidward sleeping meme to criticize those who are upset by Chris Pratt going to “church” (one which was purportedly anti-LGBT) but “ok” with sex predators in Hollywood: […]

      • 2019, anonymous, quoted in Cathrine Thorleifsson, "From cyberfascism to terrorism: On 4chan/pol/ culture and the transnational production of memetic violence", Nations and Nationalism, Volume 28, Issue 1, page 293:

        His [Brenton Tarrant's] meme-themed shooting greatly represents the spirit of the aussie people, in the sense of shitposting until their last moment, based and redpilled he is.

      • 2020, David Rubin, Don't Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason, unnumbered page:

        Then, in the same month, noted feminist Christina Hoff Sommers was branded “white supremacy-adjacent” by feminist Roxane Gay. Her reasoning? That our beloved “Based Mom” once appeared at an event with Milo Yiannopoulos and didn't disavow him enough.

The term used to be primarily associated with the alt right, but is currently used colloquially by non-alt right people, mostly without intending any political implications. Although this term might have political implications for some people.

based

1. (Internet slang, sometimes humorous) Indicating emphatic approval of a statement or opinion, often a controversial or unpopular one.

   —There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. —Based.

• Abeds, adebs, beads, dBASE