foundation

noun

1. the basis on which something is grounded"there is little foundation for his objections"
2. an institution supported by an endowment
3. lowest support of a structure"it was built on a base of solid rock"
4. education or instruction in the fundamentals of a field of knowledge"he lacks the foundation necessary for advanced study"
5. the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained"the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture"
6. a woman's undergarment worn to give shape to the contours of the body
7. the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new"she looked forward to her initiation as an adult"