What does basified mean?
Basified is the past tense and past participle of basify, meaning that something has been made basic or alkaline. In chemistry and molecular biology, the word usually describes treating a substance, reaction mixture, or DNA with a basic reagent so that it reaches a higher pH or is used under basic conditions. It is more precise than merely saying “treated,” because it identifies the chemical nature of the treatment. The term belongs mainly to specialist scientific writing, though its spelling and basic sense are the same in British and American English. For example, a technician might basify a solution with sodium hydroxide, or a laboratory might basify DNA before purification and sequencing. Because the word marks both an action and its completed result, it can function as a verb form or as an adjective: “the basified sample.” In general prose, “made alkaline” is usually clearer for a non-specialist audience.
To make a substance basic or alkaline by treating it with a base.
"The technician basified the reaction mixture with a dilute alkali."
The past tense and past participle of basify; chiefly used in scientific and laboratory contexts.
Made basic or alkaline; having undergone treatment with a base.
"The basified solution was filtered and analyzed."
Common chiefly in chemistry and molecular biology.
Basified is chemistry’s way of saying that a substance has been tipped toward the alkaline side.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does basified come from?
Basify was formed in English by combining base, in the chemical sense of a substance that neutralizes acidity, with the productive suffix -ify, meaning “to make” or “to become.” Base was borrowed through French from Latin basis, which came from the Greek basis, “step” or “foundation.” Words such as basic, basis, and basal developed from the same Latin and Greek foundation.
Related word forms
How basified is actually used
Chiefly used in chemistry, molecular biology, and other laboratory contexts. It is formal and technical; in general prose, “made alkaline” is often clearer. British and American usage differ only in spelling conventions such as “alkalised” versus “alkalinized.”
Easily confused with basified
Basified means made basic or alkaline through treatment with a base, whereas based can mean founded, derived, or having a stated basis.