What does ‘based’ mean on TikTok? Origin behind viral slang explored

Meaning of TikTok slang "Based" explored. (Image via Jakub Porzycki /Getty Images)

TikTok is the platform for viral trends, challenges, and slang. One new viral slang that all TikTokers are talking about is "based." However, a handful of people are perplexed as they simply cannot understand what this slang means.

Initially, the word meant being addicted to a drug, especially cocaine, but now it has a completely different meaning on the short video sharing application. So, what does the slang "based" really mean on the video sharing platform and how can one use it?

The word "based" means to be yourself without worrying about how other people may perceive you.

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The origins and uses of the word ‘Based’ on TikTok

With more and more Gen Z users on TikTok, users often come videos on the short video platform with some slang they don't know. Many Gen Z users employ acronyms for their daily conversations on social media. One such word is ‘based,’ which has left the internet confused and bewildered. What earlier used to mean "addicted to cocaine"’ has now been given an entirely new meaning.

"Based," as mentioned above means “being yourself and not caring what others think of you - to carry yourself with swagger.” Becoming excessively popular with users on TikTok, this slang was created by the Rapper Lil B.

As per the rapper, he took out the negative meaning of the word and flipped it to give it a positive connotation. The rapper further explained that “based” is generally used as “un-woke” on the social media. At the same time, netizens were quick to grasp this slang and use it in their videos, tweets and even in their daily conversations.

Furthermore, what’s even crazier is that the hashtag #Based on TikTok has more than 2.4 billion views. This is proof enough to understand the popularity of the slang. More than just a conversation, people are now using “based” as a hashtag that portrays “being yourself.”

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Who is rapper Lil B - the creator of the slang ‘based’?

Lil B, whose real name is Brandon Christopher McCartney, is an American rapper who hails from California. He makes music around quite a few genres like hip hop, indie rock and new age. In the business since 2009, some of Lil B's greatest hits include Thank god I’m Based, Thank you BasedGod, Oh Go, and Swag like Ohio.

Many of his songs also have the word “based” in them, which is proof enough that the rapper not only uses the word very often, but also advocates it. Lil B's usernames on social media are also "based" as well. His Twitter user name is LIL B THE BASEDGOD. Clearly, Lil B is all about being "based."

Apart from this, Lil B is a motivational speaker, having given speeches and lectures at UCLA, Carnegie Mellon University and MIT. He often shares his life experiences with money, happiness, and social media in his speeches.

As for the slang and acronyms, one can discover most of them on the FYP, which is the "for you page" on the platform, and this is where you can find most trends and challenges which are viral at the moment.