What is the Latin word for foundation?

The usual Latin words for “foundation” are fundāmentum, substrūctiō, sēdēs; also columen, ōrnāmentum, firmāmentum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“foundation” in Latin

fundāmentumfoundation; beginning; basis substrūctiōfoundation (of a building); substructure sēdēsseat, chair; place, residence, settlement, habitation, abode columenpillar, column; peak, summit, zenith ōrnāmentumequipment, apparatus, furniture; decoration, ornament, embellishment; adornment, (plural) regalia firmāmentumA strengthening, support, prop, stay.; The firmament; the sky fixed above the earth.; The main point or crux (of an argu īnstituōto set up, establish, found, institute or arrange; to train, teach, instruct, educate (usually by a course of training);contineōto hold, keep, connect, contain, maintain; to hold or keep together/close; connect, surround; to keep in, enclose, bound

The English word foundation itself goes back to Latin fundō, through fundātiō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

foundation

fundamentum (mostly in the plur., fundameuta): substructio: substructionis moles (the foundation, if consisting of a wall): sedes (the ground, etc., that forms its site; e.g., domum convellere sedibus suis). The foundations of the Capitol are of free-stone, Capitolium quadrato saxo substructum est: to be the foundation of anything, fundamentum esse alicujus rei; aliqua re teneri or contineri (figuratively; i. e., to consist in anything principally): anything is or forms the foundation of anything, fundamentum alicujus rei positum est in aliqua re: to shake the foundation, fundamenta subducere (figuratively): to lay the foundation of anything, fundamenta alicujus rei jacere or (seldom) ponere (PROP. and IMPROP.); initia alicujus rei ponere; prima initia alicujus rei ponere (figuratively): to dig the foundation for anything, fundamenta alicui rei fodere; fundationem alicujus rei fodere (PROP.): to lay anything as a foundation, aliquid pro fundamento ponere (figuratively): to raise or build a house from the foundation, domum a fundamentis inchoare: to destroy anything from the foundation, funditus evertere; a fundamentis disjicere (PROP.); funditus tollere (PROP. and figuratively); fundamenta alicujus rei evertere (e.g., of a state, reipublicae); convellere sedibus suis (PROP. of a house; so montem convellere sede): from the foundation of Rome, ab urbe condita: from the foundation of the world, inde ab hominum memoria; post hominum memoriam; post homines natos (the last two after negatives): at the foundation of the world, cum primi fingerentur homines: without foundation (= reasonable ground), rationi adversus (not tenable, of argument, assertions, etc.; contrary to reason); vanus (only apparently; opposed to verus); futilis (that is not valid in its kind, vain); fictus (invented); commenticius (stronger term; opposed to what is morally true, Cic.); (The words are found in this connection and order.) fictus (or futilis) et commenticius: want of foundation, vanitas: to build on another man’s foundation, quod alius intriverat, exedere (after Ter. Phorm., 2, 2, 4).

The point of support (point d’appui), fundamentum or quaedam quasi sedes constituendae alicujus rei (Cic., Partit., 9, 31): columen: ornamentum (the former, whatever serves for the stability of an empire, a realm, etc.; the latter, whatever tends toward the maintenance or promotion of friendship; as Cic., Lael., 22, 82): firmamentum (the principal point of support). To shake the foundation of the state, fundamenta (reipublicae, etc.) labefactare, or subducere, or evertere, or pervertere: the foundation of anything is, aliquid fundamentum est alicujus rei; firmamentum alicujus rei est; firmamentum alicujus rei continetur aliqua re; aliquid fundamentis alicujus rei constitutum est (Cic., Senect., 18, 62); aliquid fultum est aliqua re (anything is based upon, etc.).

An institution, institutum: *res in morte alicujus testamento instituta (founded by anybody’s will; ☞ Cic., Caecin., 4, 10). A foundation school, *schola legato alicujus instituta.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for foundation?: The usual Latin words for “foundation” are fundāmentum, substrūctiō, sēdēs; also columen, ōrnāmentum, firmāmentum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.