底てい辺へん

Refers to the broad supporting base or foundation of something, often in phrases such as 底辺を支える or 底辺を拡大する. The image may overlap with a lower layer that supports the whole.

地ち域いきクラブの育いく成せいは、競きょう技ぎの底てい辺へんを拡かく大だいするために重じゅう要ようだ。
Developing local clubs is important for expanding the base of the sport.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉の底てい辺へんthe base (side) of a shape
三さん角かく形けいの底てい辺へんの長ながさを求もとめる。
Find the length of the base of the triangle.
社しゃ会かいの底てい辺へんthe bottom of society
彼かれは社しゃ会かいの底てい辺へんで懸けん命めいに生いきてきた。
He has lived hard at the bottom of society.
〈事こと〉の底てい辺へんを支ささえるto support the base/foundation of something
中ちゅう小しょう企き業ぎょうが経けい済ざいの底てい辺へんを支ささえている。
Small and medium-sized businesses support the base of the economy.
〈事こと〉の底てい辺へんを拡かく大だいするto widen the base of a field or activity
スポーツ人じん口こうの底てい辺へんを拡かく大だいする取とり組くみが進すすんでいる。

Kanji

底bottom, sole, depth
辺environs, boundary, border

Related words

基き盤ばんN2sense 3
基盤 means a base or foundation in a broad, often institutional or abstract sense, while 底辺 carries the stronger image of a literal bottom layer.
根こん底ていN1sense 3
根底 refers to the underlying root or fundamental basis of an idea, feeling, or problem, and is more abstract than 底辺.
裾すそ野の sense 3
裾野 describes the broad base or grassroots spread of an activity, as in 裾野を広げる, and sounds gentler than 底辺 in social contexts.
下か層そう sense 2
下層 means the lower stratum or lower class of society, similar to 底辺 but generally less harsh or stigmatizing.

Opposites

頂ちょう点てんN2sense 1
頂点 is the apex of a triangle or shape, directly opposite 底辺, which is its base.
上じょう層そう sense 2
上層 refers to the upper class or top layer of society, the opposite of 底辺, the lowest layer.

Don't confuse with

底てい面めん sense 1
底面 is the bottom surface of a three-dimensional solid, whereas 底辺 is the base side of a two-dimensional polygon like a triangle.
底そこ値ね
底辺 shares the kanji 底 with 底値 but means 'base' or 'bottom of society/a shape', not a price.

Word family

底てい辺へん層そう
lower classes; underclass; proletariat
底てい辺へん校こう
bottom-tier school; low-ranking school

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound of 底, meaning bottom or base, and 辺, meaning side, edge, or area. The mathematical sense is the bottom side or base; the social and abstract senses extend from the image of the lowest or supporting layer.

Efforts are underway to widen the base of people participating in sports.