footing

Noun

footing (countable and uncountable, plural footings)

1. A ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest on; firm foundation to stand on.
   • In ascents, every step gained is a footing and help to the next.1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech: An Essay of Inquiry into the Natural Production of Letters: […], London: […] T. N[ewcomb] for J[ohn] Martyn printer to the R[oyal] Society, […], →OCLC
2. A standing; position; established place; foothold.
   • As soon, however, as he had obtained a footing at court, the charms of his manner […] made him a favorite.1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC
   • While the California economy maintains its powerhouse status[…] the state’s most-powerful sectors[…]have struggled to keep their footing, pummeled by high interest rates, investor skittishness, labor strife and other turmoil.2023 April 11, Kurtis Lee, “California Economy Is on Edge After Tech Layoffs and Studio Cutbacks”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
3. A relative condition; state.
   • [L]ived on a footing of equality with nobles.1856 December, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green...
4. (dated) A tread; step; especially, a measured tread.
   • Hark, I hear the footing of a man.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
5. (rare) A footprint or footprints; tracks, someone's trail.
   • The Monster swift as word, that from her went,
     Went forth in hast, and did her footing trace[…].1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
   • A man must doe as some wilde beasts, which at the entrance of their caves, will have no manner of footing seene.1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 38, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC
6. Stability or balance when standing on one's feet.
   • He lost his footing and fell down.
   • It was difficult to keep my footing on the ship during the storm.
7. (broadly) Mental stability or balance.
   • It's a lot for anybody to go through. But, while the others took weeks - hell, even months - to get used to everything, myself included, you found your footing in a matter of days.2026 June 19, Gooseworx, “Remember” (5:03 from the start), in The Amazing Digital Circus, episode 9, spoken by Kinger (Sean Chiplock)
8. The act of adding up a column of figures; the amount or sum total of such a column.
   • The auditing of the accounts, when the defendant was present, was nothing more than the examinings of the footings of the bookkeeper.1866, Francis A. Corliss, Supreme Court, County of New York, page 111
9. The act of putting a foot to anything; also, that which is added as a foot
   • the footing of a stocking
10. Foundation or basis for further advancement or development.
    • The subsidy gives the organization a firm footing.

    Synonyms:

    rootstock

11. A narrow cotton lace, without figures.
12. The finer refuse part of whale blubber, not wholly deprived of oil.
13. The thickened or sloping portion of a wall, or of an embankment at its foot; foundation.
14. A double-check of the numbers vertically.