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
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
This strategy helps the 2026 team try to return to a baseline of competence by giving the special teams units a complete facelift and targeting veterans such as Calvin Austin II, Darnell Mooney, Greg Newsome II and Ar’Darius Washington at reasonable costs.
—
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Just incredible firepower from both ends of the baseline.
—Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Right now, there is no scientific baseline on what constitutes a healthy amount of passing gas.
—Dennis Valera, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Hours after the Supreme Court announced its ruling against the president’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) duties, the president issued an executive order establishing a universal 10 percent baseline tariff using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baseline
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Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Just incredible firepower from both ends of the baseline.
—Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Right now, there is no scientific baseline on what constitutes a healthy amount of passing gas.
—Dennis Valera, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Hours after the Supreme Court announced its ruling against the president’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) duties, the president issued an executive order establishing a universal 10 percent baseline tariff using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baseline
Cite this Entry
“Baseline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baseline. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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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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