foundation Copy link Outline I. The groundwork of a structure1. fundāmentum (common both in lit. and fig. sense)2. fundāmen, ĭnis, n. (poet.)3. fundātio (rare)4. substructio (ground-work; esp. of buildings on a large scale)5. sēdes, is, f. (poet. or fig.)II. An establishment of a pecuniary nature, esp. for education • foundation: I. The groundwork of a structure: 1. fundāmentum (common both in lit. and fig. sense): to lay the f.s, fundamenta jacere, Cic.: Liv.: foll. by dat. urbi, Liv. 1, 12 (but the gen. is the usu. constr.); f. locare, Virg.; f. agere (i. e., to carry the f.s in a certain direction), Cic. Mil. 27, extr. Fig.: to lay the f.s of peace, f. pacis jacere, Cic.: to lay the f. of a philosophy, fundamentum philosophiae ponere [in aliqua re], Cic. Div. 2, 1, 2: age is planted on the f.s of youth, senectus fundamentis adolescentiae constituta est, Cic. Sen. 18, 62. 2. fundāmen, ĭnis, n. (poet.): Virg.: Ov. 3. fundātio (rare): Vitr. 4. substructio (ground-work; esp. of buildings on a large scale): the depth of the f., altitudo substructionis, Vitr. 6, 8, 6: the greatest care ought to be taken with the f., maxima esse debet cura substructionis, Vitr.: Plin. Ep. (comp. Cic. Mil. 20, 53, where the term includes the works begun as a whole: so Caes. B. C. 2, 25). 5. sēdes, is, f. (poet. or fig.): we overturn the tower from its deep f.s, turrim convellimus altis s., Virg.: Rome herself seemed almost torn up from its f.s, mihi ipsa Roma prope convulsa s. suis visa est, Cic. in Pis. 22, 52: Quint. Phr.: to destroy, overthrow, a city from its very f.s, urbem funditus tollere, evertere, Cic. Fig.: to unfold the f.s of nature, primordia rerum pandere, Lucr. 1, 56: v. principle. II. An establishment of a pecuniary nature, esp. for education: annui sumptus in alimenta [puerorum, etc.], Plin. Ep. 1, 8, 10.