founds

Founds is the third-person singular present tense of the verb to found, meaning to establish or originate an institution, organization, settlement, or system. When a subject such as a university, company, foundation, or government body creates something new, it can be said to found it. For example, the university founds a new research institute and the foundation founds a scholarship program.

Etymology and related terms: The verb to found comes from Old French fonder, from Latin fundare, meaning to lay a base or foundation. Related nouns include founder (the person who establishes something) and founding (the act or process of establishing). The form founds appears in contemporary usage to express a present-tense action by a singular subject.

Usage and nuance: Founds is typically used in formal, institutional, or historical contexts. It emphasizes the act of establishing from the ground up, rather than merely organizing or supporting something that already exists. In everyday speech, more common synonyms include establishes, creates, or sets up. It is important to distinguish founds from founded, the past tense and past participle of to found, which refers to actions completed in the past.

Common confusions: Founds is distinct from found, the past tense of to find, and from founded, the past tense of to found. While all three words are related to beginnings, their meanings and grammatical forms are not interchangeable.

See also: Foundation, Founding, Founder, Founding date, Founding myths.