Founding

/ˈfaʊndɪŋ/

nounmedium📊CommonAction
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The act of establishing or setting up an organization, institution, or city.

/ˈfaʊndɪŋ/

nounneutralmedium
Action

The establishment or creation of something.

The city celebrated the founding of its historical society.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're building a LEGO castle. The founding is when you put down the first bricks, starting something new and important!

👶 For kids: When you start something new, like a club or a school!

More Examples

2

The founding of the university was a major milestone in the region's history.

How It's Used

Historical

"The founding of the United States."

Business

"The founding of a new company."

2

Present participle form of the verb 'found', meaning to establish, set up, or originate.

/ˈfaʊndɪŋ/

verbneutralmedium
Action

Present participle of the verb 'found', meaning to establish.

The company is currently founding its international branches.

💡 Simply: Like starting your own lemonade stand – you're founding a small business!

👶 For kids: Like starting a new game or a new place!

More Examples

2

She is founding a charity to help underprivileged children.

How It's Used

Business

"He is founding a new tech startup."

Historical

"The king was founding new cities to expand his influence."

Tip:Think of the process of building something from scratch.

Idioms & expressions

founding father

A person who initiates or establishes something, especially a country or institution.

"The Founding Fathers of the United States are highly revered."

founding member

A person who is one of the first members of a group or organization.

"He was one of the founding members of the club."

From Old English *fundian*, meaning 'to prepare, make ready', related to the verb 'find'. The noun 'foundation' came earlier, derived from the Latin *fundare* 'to lay the base of, found'.

The word's usage dates back centuries, often referring to the establishment of cities, institutions, and governments. It appears in many historical texts.

Memory tip

Think of the foundation of a house; it's the initial construction.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to lay the base of"

founding fatherfounding memberfounding principlefounding datefounding meeting

Common misspellings

foundinggfoudingfoudingg

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written