Based
Based is a slang term that originally emerged in California during the 1970s, stemming from the phrase "freebase cocaine," a method which makes the drug smokable. "Based" was derived from "basehead," a term used to refer to a freebase addict. The term grew in prominence as a pejorative during the crack epidemic to refer to someone who was "cracked out". By the late 2000s and early 2010s, it became an Internet slang term as popularized by American rapper Lil B, also known as The Based God. He appropriated the phrase as a reclaimed word, which he defined as being yourself and positive.
During the early-to mid 2010s, the term was adopted by online misogynists as part of the Gamergate campaign to refer to conservative critic Christina Hoff Sommers as "Based Mom". The phrase was later reappropriated by Trump supporters and evolved to describe an agreement with unpopular opinions or stances and actions that negate political correctness. By 2023, the FBI deemed the phrase "based and redpilled" as connected to alt-right extremism online. The term "based" later entered the mainstream and regained a neutral connotation.