groundwork

Noun

• preliminary preparation as a basis or foundation
  • we are prepared today because of groundwork that was done ten years ago
    

• lowest support of a structure
  • it was built on a base of solid rock
    
  • he stood at the foot of the tower
    

• the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
  • the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  foundation , base , fundament , foot , substructure , understructure , basis , cornerstone