often attributive
1
: a line serving as a basis
especially
: one of known measure or position used (as in surveying or navigation) to calculate or locate something
2
3
: a boundary line at either end of a court (as in tennis or basketball)
4
: a usually initial set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control
5
: a starting point
the baseline of this discussion
Synonyms
Examples of baseline in a Sentence
The experiment is meant only to provide a baseline for other studies.
any year or event we use as the baseline for the Renaissance is going to be at least somewhat arbitrary
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s because the baseline for this comparison is the data for 2021, which Asher and other crime experts say is unreliable because the FBI switched crime reporting systems that year and compliance by local police departments plummeted.
—
Matthew Crowley, Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
At one point, a bomb targeting the local police precinct magically defuses itself, establishing a baseline that lowers the stakes of Willis and Lana’s efforts.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Goldman said its forecast would be roughly 4 percentage points higher (7% instead of 3%) if the market were not so concentrated, with a baseline range of 3% to 11% growth instead of a possible -1% to 7% over the next decade.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Risk Mitigation Leveraging historical demand plans as a baseline, AI can forecast risks such as supplier delays, stock shortages or transportation disruptions.
—Ketan Anand, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for baseline 
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Matthew Crowley, Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
At one point, a bomb targeting the local police precinct magically defuses itself, establishing a baseline that lowers the stakes of Willis and Lana’s efforts.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Goldman said its forecast would be roughly 4 percentage points higher (7% instead of 3%) if the market were not so concentrated, with a baseline range of 3% to 11% growth instead of a possible -1% to 7% over the next decade.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Risk Mitigation Leveraging historical demand plans as a baseline, AI can forecast risks such as supplier delays, stock shortages or transportation disruptions.
—Ketan Anand, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for baseline
Dictionary Entries Near baseline
Cite this Entry
“Baseline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baseline. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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Medical Definition
baseline
noun
base·line
ˈbā-ˌslīn 
: a set of critical observations or data used for comparison or a control
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