Is “based” the new “facts”?

r/

I am not a native English speaker.

I remember before people used to say “facts” a lot in English media, but now no more.

I still don’t fully understand what saying “based” means but on some context I guess it’s the same as saying “facts”?

Comments

  1. gleaming-the-cubicle Avatar

    Honestly that’s a very apt comparison

  2. CurtisLinithicum Avatar

    “Based” depends on the subculture. I’m used to it meaning something like “I admire the conviction of this person”, even when you disagree with them.

  3. Gloomy_Wonder5576 Avatar

    Yes, pretty much exactly that. Based comes from the phrase “based in reality”, meaning that what you said is real/true/factual/etc. Do be aware though that it generally has more usage in right-wing communities. It’s expanded to the point where everyone says it now, but that’s historically where it gets the most usage and some people might have that connotation attached to it

  4. FantasticTotal5797 Avatar

    I think its a term used by a person who calls someone or something out, like not giving a F**k

  5. in-grey Avatar

    It began with a rapper who used it as his “catchphrase”. It means to have strong foundational convictions that go against the norm.

    Person one: “Dark Souls 2 is my favorite Fromsoft game.”

    Person two: “based.”

  6. AbrocomaOk8973 Avatar

    Folks here are responding based on these new weird mfs that coopted its original use.

    Lil B (often called Lil B the BaseGod) started the based movement more than 15 years ago.

    Based basically meant being completely true to yourself and believing in yourself to the point that some might think it’s ridiculous.

    But to be Base, to believe in yourself to that level, is very cool so someone might say “based” or “that’s based” to say that it’s very cool or very real.

    So in short, yes. They’re using it in a similar way to the way folks use “facts” but it has wider usage.

    Also fuck these new weird people biting off the Based Movement while still being racist af

  7. bobroberts1954 Avatar

    Since you aren’t a native English speaker, based existed before it was adopted as slang. You might say “based on all observable facts, this stuff appears true”. Based on experience, based on custom, based on my gut feeling. Basis; foundation of the assertion.

  8. Janus_The_Great Avatar

    Facts are based.

    An opinion and decision can be based.

    But opinions and decisions aren’t facts.

    “Based” means that you perceive the opinion or decision as well founded in thought and analysis. The opposite would be unfounded or purely emotional or normative opinion or decision.

    Like many popular terms it has gotten a life of its own, and is now used as a term of agreement, independent of actually being based.

  9. Fall_of_the_Empire25 Avatar

    I’m a native English speaker, and I still don’t know what “based” means…

    Seriously, gen Z/Alpha slang is so incredibly nonsensical…

  10. LivingEnd44 Avatar

    It’s a GenZ term. It’s not new. 

  11. themothyousawonetime Avatar

    In my opinion, as a user of the word for some years now, it currently means “facts”. However, for the most part it has meant “admirably strident/rude”. It’s a little edgy, to me, because some bad people use it sometimes