What does "based" mean in slang?
10/20/25 5:25pm
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"Based" means to have a really good take on something. It's very similar to the 'I know ball' trend. For example, if someone said, "Apple juice is better than cranberry juice," you would respond with "based" if you agree.
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The slang word "based" means being authentic and true to yourself, without caring about what others think. Members of Gen Z typically use this is a positive way, such as, "The way you stood up to that online troll was so based."
However, it didn't always mean that: the word originated with the 1980s term "basehead," which referred to people addicted to freebasing cocaine. "Based," then, described someone addicted to cocaine, but it was reclaimed by rapper Lil B, who used it in his 2007 album Based Boys and described it as "being yourself. Not being scared of what people think about you. Not being afraid to do what you wanna do."
The term was, unfortunately, later appropriated by alt-right online users as a term of praise that basically means "not 'woke,'" but it's still sometimes used by people who aren't a part of that group.
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However, it didn't always mean that: the word originated with the 1980s term "basehead," which referred to people addicted to freebasing cocaine. "Based," then, described someone addicted to cocaine, but it was reclaimed by rapper Lil B, who used it in his 2007 album Based Boys and described it as "being yourself. Not being scared of what people think about you. Not being afraid to do what you wanna do."
The term was, unfortunately, later appropriated by alt-right online users as a term of praise that basically means "not 'woke,'" but it's still sometimes used by people who aren't a part of that group.
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