Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Based on sound judgment, reasoning, or evidence; adequately substantiated.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Founded on good reasons; having strong probability; not baseless: as, well-founded suspicions.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective based on reasoning, evidence and good judgement
  • adjective properly substantiated

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective based on sound reasoning or evidence

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Applicants must demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution should they return to Egypt.

    Egypt's Embattled Christians Seek Room in America Lucette Lagnado 2011

  • Since Perry has already taken some stimulus funds and then taken the credit for it, a charge of hypocrisy would be well-founded – and your criticism, merely ideological nit-picking.

    Think Progress » Gov. Perry Bemoans ‘Federal Takeover’ Of Education, But His State’s Takeover Of Textbooks Is Totally Fine 2010

  • And yes, I do have fear radical Muslims and I believe that fear is well-founded.

    Is Obama a Terrorist? « Antiwar.com Blog 2009

  • "And we expressed concerns that we thought were well-founded about the conduct of the elections."

    Putin Blames U.S. for Protests Alan Cullison 2011

  • Your suspicions are well-founded, as there is abundant archeological evidence indicating that intermediary trade was actually surprisingly widespread during the Upper Paleolithic; for instance, there were Pan-European trade networks for all sorts of baubles.

    Economics and Evolution, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • "A criminal defendant with genuine and well-founded concerns that imprisonment will shorten his life is surely entitled to provide the court with relevant medical information without also consenting to the publication of such sensitive and private information in The Wall Street Journal, which is surely what will happen here if the documents are unsealed," his lawyer John Dowd said in court papers on Monday.

    Rajaratnam's Lawyers Want to Keep Health Details Private Chad Bray 2011

  • Our conversation got me reflecting on the typical post-New Year's period, drowning in well-founded resolutions whereby we all try to eat healthier, exercise more, give up bad habits and attempt to be happier as a result.

    Craig Ing: When Goals Go Bad Craig Ing 2012

  • Our conversation got me reflecting on the typical post-New Year's period, drowning in well-founded resolutions whereby we all try to eat healthier, exercise more, give up bad habits and attempt to be happier as a result.

    Craig Ing: When Goals Go Bad Craig Ing 2012

  • Our conversation got me reflecting on the typical post-New Year's period, drowning in well-founded resolutions whereby we all try to eat healthier, exercise more, give up bad habits and attempt to be happier as a result.

    Craig Ing: When Goals Go Bad Craig Ing 2012

  • Mrs. Clinton, in Brussels Thursday on a diplomatic trip, responded that she had expressed "well-founded" concerns about the conduct of Russia's parliamentary election earlier this week, and that other nations had raised concerns too.

    Putin Blames U.S. for Protests Alan Cullison 2011

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