| Main Entry: | bottom |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | base, core |
Synonyms: |
basis, bottom line, cause, essence, essentiality, ground, heart, mainspring, marrow, origin, pith, principle, quintessence, root, soul, source, stuff, substance, virtuality |
Antonyms: |
exteriority, outside |
| Main Entry: | cause |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | agent, originator |
Synonyms: |
account, agency, aim, antecedent, author, basis, beginning, causation, consideration, creator, determinant, doer, element, end, explanation, foundation, genesis, ground, grounds, incitement, inducement, instigation, leaven, mainspring, maker, matter, motivation, motive, object, occasion, origin, prime mover, principle, producer, purpose, root, source, spring, stimulation |
Antonyms: |
consequence, development, effect, end, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, product, result |
| Main Entry: | cornerstone |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | vital element |
Synonyms: |
anchor, base, essential, foundation, key element, keystone, linchpin, main ingredient, mainspring, mainstay, pillar |
| Main Entry: | fountain |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | source, often of liquid |
Synonyms: |
bubbler, cause, font, fount, geyser, gush, inception, inspiration, jet, lode, mainspring, mine, origin, play, provenance, provenience, pump, reservoir, root, spout, spray, spring, stream, well, wellhead, wellspring |
| Main Entry: | keynote/keystone |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | essence, theme |
Synonyms: |
basic idea, basis, center, core, cornerstone, criterion, crux, gist, heart, idea, kernel, linchpin, mainspring, marrow, measure, motive, nub, pith, principle, root, source, spring, standard, substance |
| Main Entry: | motive |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, purpose |
Synonyms: |
aim, antecedent, basis, cause, consideration, design, determinant, drive, emotion, end, feeling, grounds, idea, impulse, incentive, incitement, inducement, influence, inspiration, intent, intention, mainspring, motivation, object, occasion, passion, rationale, root, spring, spur, stimulus, thinking |
Antonyms: |
deterrent, discouragement, hindrance |
| Main Entry: | origin |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | cause, basis |
Synonyms: |
agent, ancestor, ancestry, antecedent, author, base, causality, causation, connection, creator, derivation, determinant, egg, element, embryo, fountain, generator, germ, horse's mouth, impulse, inception, inducement, influence, inspiration, mainspring, motive, nucleus, occasion, parent, parentage, principle, producer, progenitor, provenance, provenience, root, roots, seed, source, spring, stock, well, wellspring |
Antonyms: |
consequence, destiny, effect, goal, outcome, outgrowth, result |
| Main Entry: | root |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | base, core |
Synonyms: |
basis, bedrock, beginnings, bottom, cause, center, crux, derivation, essence, essentiality, footing, foundation, fountain, fountainhead, fundamental, germ, ground, groundwork, heart, inception, infrastructure, mainspring, marrow, motive, nub, nucleus, occasion, origin, pith, provenance, provenience, quick, quintessence, radicle, radix, reason, rhizome, rock bottom, seat, seed, soul, source, starting point, stem, stuff, substance, substratum, tuber, underpinning, well |
| Notes: | a rout is a disorderly crowd of people or an overwhelming defeat; a root is the usually underground organ of a plant that lacks buds or leaves or nodes and absorbs water and mineral salts - or the form of a word after all affixes are removed; a route is an established line of travel or access - or a road, course, or way for travel from one place to another |
Antonyms: |
derivation, derivative, sprout |
| Main Entry: | keynote |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | theme |
Synonyms: |
basic idea, basis, center, core, cornerstone, criterion, crux, essence, gist, heart, idea, kernel, keystone, linchpin, mainspring, marrow, measure, motive, nub, pith, principle, root, source, spring, standard, substance |
| Main Entry: | provenience |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | origin |
Synonyms: |
agent, ancestor, ancestry, antecedent, author, base, beginning, causality, causation, connection, creator, derivation, determinant, egg, element, embryo, fount, fountain, fountainhead, generator, germ, horse's mouth, impulse, inception, inducement, influence, inspiration, mainspring, mother, motive, nucleus, occasion, parent, parentage, principle, producer, progenitor, provenance, root, roots, rootstock, seed, source, spring*, stock, well, wellspring |