Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
foundation (noun)1.
the act of - founding
2.
a basis (as a tenet, principle, or axiom) upon which something stands or is supported - the foundations of geometry the rumor is without foundation in fact
3.
a) funds given for the permanent support of an institution - endowment
b) an organization or institution established by endowment with provision for future maintenance
4.
an underlying base or support , especially the whole masonry substructure of a building
5.
a) a body or ground upon which something is built up or overlaid
b) a woman's supporting undergarment - corset
c) a cosmetic usually used as a base for makeup
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
foundation (noun)1.
a public organization with a particular purpose or function
SYNONIMS:
establishment, foundation, instituteRELATED WORDS:
body, collective, group; corporation, enterprise; charity, philanthropy; think tank2.
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests
SYNONIMS:
basis, bedrock, bottom, cornerstone, footing, foundation, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning, warp, warp and woofRELATED WORDS:
anchorage, bed, brace, bulwark, buttress, framework, infrastructure, mount, prop, shore, stay, substratum, substructure, support; assumption, justification, premise ( premiss), presumption, presupposition, rationale, supposition, theory, thesis, warrant; backbone, center, core, cornerstone, eye, focus, heart, hub, kernel, keystone, nucleus, seat; essence, quintessence, soul, touchstone