fan base

noun

plural fan bases
: a group of fans for a particular sport, musical group, celebrity, book or film franchise, etc.
… the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks—the last two NBA champions—had fan bases spending the most money on team merchandise and gear.—Corey Davis
Yet her three albums with the Epic label failed to earn her a popular audience, beyond country's traditional fan base …—Martha A. Hostetter
But sales figures don't fully capture the fan base among shojo readers, who can whip through a volume in half an hour in a bookstore and often pass along copies to friends.—Sarah Glazer
The fervent passion of [Justin] Bieber's fan base almost obscured the rampant self-indulgence of his hour-and-a-half set.—Ben Fisher

Examples of fan base in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 44-year-old has inspired a fan base beaten down by four losing seasons in five years and a cavalcade of coaches since Urban Meyer led the Gators to their last taste of championship success in 2008. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Even though the trade was out of Skubal’s control, a faction of the Tigers fan base — including this reporter’s rideshare driver from the airport — was upset Skubal never reached an agreement for a contract extension with Detroit (62-72). — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 Rivera has done a good job engaging alumni and raising money in his two years as general manager and Lupoi has energized the fan base with his string recruiting since being hired in December. — CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 But the franchise — Oren Peli’s indie film was originally shot in 2006 for $15,000 and brought in almost $200 million — comes with its own young evergreen fan base. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fan base

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fan base was in 1974

Rhymes for fan base

See All Rhymes for fan base

Browse Nearby Words

fanback
fan base
fan belt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fan base.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20base. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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