A base word is a complete word that can stand alone and has meaning by itself. It is the fundamental part of a word to which prefixes or suffixes may be added to create new words. For example, in the word "unhappiness," "happy" is the base word.
Which phrase describes a base word?
3 answers
so wouldent that be a complete word that is apart of another word?
Yes, that's correct! A base word is a complete word that can stand alone and can also be part of a larger word when prefixes or suffixes are added. In the example "unhappiness," "happy" is the base word that contributes meaning to the larger word, while "un-" and "-ness" are the prefix and suffix, respectively. So, you could say that a base word is a complete word that functions as an integral component of another word.