barebones
|bare-bones|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɛrˌboʊnz/
🇬🇧
/ˈbeəˌbəʊnz/
minimal essentials
Etymology
'barebones' originates from Modern English, formed from the compound phrase 'bare bones', where 'bare' comes from Old English 'bær' meaning 'without covering' and 'bone' comes from Old English 'bān' meaning 'bone'.
'bare bones' was originally used as a literal phrase referring to an exposed skeleton; in the 20th century it became figurative as 'bare-bones' (hyphenated) to mean 'minimal', and in some modern usage it appears as the single-word form 'barebones'.
Initially it meant 'exposed skeleton' or simply 'bones with no flesh', but over time it evolved into the current figurative meaning of 'minimal, containing only essentials'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the minimum components or essentials of something; the core elements stripped of extras.
When they showed the barebones of the plan, it became clear what must be done first.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/15 14:22