footing
/ˈfʊtɪŋ
/noun
1 (one's footing) A secure grip with one’s feet: he suddenly lost his footing...
- I ended up walking on the unshovelled areas in order to have a more secure footing.
- Sirka staggered around, trying to make her way out of the hallway and into the family room, when she suddenly lost her footing.
- Over the Rhine I found my footing; I gripped the slipping rope; I was rejuvenated; my feet were washed.
Synonyms
foothold, toehold, hold, grip, anchorage, purchase, secure position, firm contact, support;
steadiness, stability, balance, equilibrium
2 [in singular] The basis on which something is established or operates: attempts to establish the shop on a firm financial footing...
- Neither side succeeded in establishing a firm footing in the first half, as evidenced by the fact that parity obtained on four occasions.
- They figure they will need €500,000 to establish a firm footing in the market, money the company does not have at present.
- Gregory, who is believed to retain about 8% of the equity, said the restructuring of the board would put the company on a firm footing for its next phase of expansion.
Synonyms
basis, base, foundation, underpinning, support, cornerstone
2.1The position or status of a person in relation to others: the suppliers are on an equal footing with the buyers...
- It was emphasised that only in those circumstances could the buyer be said to be on an equal footing with his seller in terms of bargaining strength.
- This work is vital to demonstrate the potential impact of preventing ill health and put it on an equal footing with clinical interventions, which are routinely subject to economic evaluation.
- He will also be able to compete on an equal footing with some of the professionals on the circuit, who have already found themselves trailing in his wake on some of the sport's most gruelling courses.
Synonyms
standing, status, state, station, position, rank, grade;
condition, arrangement, basis, foundation;
relationship, relations, terms
3 (usually footings) The foundations of a wall, usually with a course of brickwork wider than the base of the wall.But because they are some distance away from the older basement walls and footings, there was no shoring of existing foundation required during construction....
- The lower stringer end should rest on a concrete beam foundation or on footings below each stringer.
- The new second-floor structure rests on existing pier footings, reducing foundation costs.