Sink vs. Basin — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 2, 2023
A sink is a fixed bowl with a drain and faucets for washing, while a basin is a bowl for holding water, which can be portable.
Difference Between Sink and Basin
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A sink is typically a fixed installation found in kitchens and bathrooms with plumbing for a water supply and drainage. It's designed for efficiency in tasks like hand washing, dishwashing, and other cleaning activities. A basin, while similar in shape, is often not fixed and lacks a dedicated water supply or drainage system. It's more versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, from holding water to washing small items.
Both sinks and basins are receptacles for water, but sinks are usually connected to a water system and include faucets and drains. Basins are more generic and can refer to any shallow bowl-shaped container, even those used outside of washing contexts, such as geological basins. Sinks often have features like garbage disposals and are built into counters, whereas basins are stand-alone items.
Sinks are built to accommodate accessories like soap dispensers, drying racks, and are often made from materials like stainless steel or porcelain that can handle constant exposure to water. Basins, on the other hand, can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic, and can be easily moved from place to place, used in beauty salons, hospitals, and more.
In a more industrial or commercial setting, a sink can refer to a large tub with faucets for processing or cleaning large volumes, whereas a basin might be used to refer to any open, shallow container regardless of its specific use. Sinks are often an integral part of a building's plumbing system, and removing them requires significant work. Basins can simply be picked up and carried away.
Sinks are designed with the user's ergonomics in mind, usually installed at waist height for ease of use. Basins might not follow any ergonomic standards, as they can be placed at any height depending on where they are used. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday language, their specific definitions reveal the differences in utility and installation.
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Comparison Chart
Installation
Fixed with plumbing
Typically portable without plumbing
Usage
Hand washing, dishwashing, etc.
Holding water, washing, various other uses
Plumbing
Connected to a water supply and drainage
No intrinsic plumbing connection
Material
Stainless steel, porcelain, etc.
Plastic, metal, ceramic, etc.
Accessories
Faucets, garbage disposals, drying racks
Often none
Compare with Definitions
Sink
To go down below the surface of water.
The old boat began to sink slowly in the harbor.
Basin
The catchment area of a river.
The Amazon basin is home to a vast array of wildlife.
Sink
To decline or decrease.
Stock prices began to sink after the unfavorable news release.
Basin
A container used in medical or chemical processes.
The nurse placed the instruments in a sterilizing basin.
Sink
To be absorbed or engrossed in something.
He sank into his chair, exhausted from the day.
Basin
An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.
Flooding can occur when the river basin overflows.
Sink
A sink – also known by other names including sinker, washbowl, hand basin, wash basin, and simply basin – is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, dishwashing, and other purposes. Sinks have taps (faucets) that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing.
Basin
A bowl for washing, typically attached to a wall and having taps connected to a water supply; a washbasin.
Sink
Go down below the surface of something, especially of a liquid; become submerged
He saw the coffin sink below the surface of the waves
Basin
A wide open container used for preparing food or for holding liquid
She poured water from the jug into the basin
Sink
Descend from a higher to a lower position; drop downwards
You can relax on the veranda as the sun sinks low
Basin
A circular or oval valley or natural depression on the earth's surface, especially one containing water
The loch is cupped in a shallow basin among low hills
Sink
Gradually decrease or decline in value, amount, quality, or intensity
Their output sank to a third of the pre-war figure
Basin
An open, shallow, usually round container used especially for holding liquids.
Sink
Insert beneath a surface
Rails fixed in place with screws sunk below the surface of the wood
Basin
The amount that such a vessel can hold.
Sink
Rapidly consume (an alcoholic drink)
English players sinking a few post-match lagers
Basin
A washbowl; a sink.
Sink
A fixed basin with a water supply and outflow pipe
A sink unit with cupboard and drawers under
I stood at the kitchen sink
Basin
A body of water that is connected to the sea and is partially or almost completely enclosed by land.
Sink
A pool or marsh in which a river's water disappears by evaporation or percolation.
Basin
A small body of water that is artificially enclosed.
Sink
Short for sinkhole
Basin
See watershed.
Sink
A place of vice or corruption
A sink of unnatural vice, pride, and luxury
Basin
A broad tract of land in which the rock strata are tilted toward a common center.
Sink
To go below the surface of water or another liquid
We watched the leaky inner tube slowly sink.
Basin
A large, bowl-shaped depression in the surface of the land or ocean floor.
Sink
To descend to the bottom of a body of water or other liquid
Found the wreck where it had sunk.
Basin
A wide bowl for washing, sometimes affixed to a wall.
Sink
To fall or drop to a lower level, especially to go down slowly or in stages
The water in the lake sank several feet during the long, dry summer.
Basin
(obsolete) A shallow bowl used for a single serving of a drink or liquidy food.
Sink
To subside or settle gradually
Cracks developed as the building sank.
Basin
A depression, natural or artificial, containing water.
Sink
To appear to move downward, as the sun or moon in setting.
Basin
(geography) An area of land from which water drains into a common outlet; drainage basin.
Sink
To slope downward; incline
The road sinks as it approaches the stream.
Basin
(geography) A shallow depression in a rock formation, such as an area of down-folded rock that has accumulated a thick layer of sediments, or an area scooped out by water erosion.
Sink
To fall or lower oneself slowly, as from weakness or fatigue
The exhausted runner sank to the ground.
Basin
To create a concavity or depression in.
Sink
To feel great disappointment or discouragement
Her heart sank within her.
Basin
To serve as or become a basin.
Sink
To pass into something; penetrate
The claws sank into the flesh of the prey.
Basin
To shelter or enclose in a basin.
Sink
To steep or soak
The wine has sunk into my shirt.
Basin
A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and for various other uses.
Sink
To pass into a specified condition
She sank into a deep sleep.
Basin
The quantity contained in a basin.
Sink
To deteriorate in quality or condition
The patient is sinking fast. The family sank into a state of disgrace.
Basin
A hollow vessel, of various forms and materials, used in the arts or manufactures, as that used by glass grinders for forming concave glasses, by hatters for molding a hat into shape, etc.
Sink
To diminish, as in value
Gold prices are sinking.
Basin
A hollow place containing water, as a pond, a dock for ships, a little bay.
Sink
To become weaker, quieter, or less forceful
His voice sank to a whisper.
Basin
A circular or oval valley, or depression of the surface of the ground, the lowest part of which is generally occupied by a lake, or traversed by a river.
Sink
To make an impression; become felt or understood
The meaning finally sank in.
Basin
An isolated or circumscribed formation, particularly where the strata dip inward, on all sides, toward a center; - especially applied to the coal formations, called coal basins or coal fields.
Sink
To cause to descend beneath the surface or to the bottom of a liquid
Sink a ship.
Basin
A bowl-shaped vessel; usually used for holding food or liquids;
She mixed the dough in a large basin
Sink
To cause to penetrate deeply
He sank his sword into the dragon's belly.
Basin
The quantity that a basin will hold;
A basinful of water
Sink
To force into the ground
Sink a piling.
Basin
A natural depression in the surface of the land often with a lake at the bottom of it;
The basin of the Great Salt Lake
Sink
To dig or drill (a mine or well) in the earth.
Basin
The entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries;
Flood control in the Missouri basin
Sink
To cause to drop or lower
Sank the bucket into the well.
Basin
A bathroom or lavatory sink that is permanently installed and connected to a water supply and drainpipe; where you wash your hands and face;
He ran some water in the basin and splashed it on his face
Sink
(Sports) To propel (a ball or shot) into a hole, basket, or pocket.
Basin
A bowl for holding liquids.
He filled the basin with warm water to wash his face.
Sink
To cause to be engrossed
"Frank sank himself in another book" (Patricia Highsmith).
Basin
A geographical depression.
The Great Basin covers most of Nevada.
Sink
To make weaker, quieter, or less forceful
She sank her voice when the manager walked by.
Sink
To reduce in quantity or worth
The bad news will sink markets around the world.
Sink
To debase the nature of; degrade
The scandal has sunk him in the eyes of many.
Sink
To bring to a low or ruined state; defeat or destroy
Loss of advertising sank the newspaper.
Sink
To suppress or hide
He sank his arrogance and apologized.
Sink
(Informal) To defeat, as in a game.
Sink
To invest or spend, often without getting a return or adequate value
I've sunk a lot of money into that car.
Sink
To pay off (a debt).
Sink
A water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe and generally a piped supply of water.
Sink
A cesspool.
Sink
A sinkhole.
Sink
A natural or artificial means of absorbing or removing a substance or a form of energy from a system.
Sink
A place regarded as wicked and corrupt
That city is a sink of corruption.
Sink
To move or be moved into something.
Sink
(ergative) To descend or submerge (or to cause to do so) into a liquid or similar substance.
A stone sinks in water.
The sun gradually sank in the west.
Sink
(transitive) To (directly or indirectly) cause a vessel to sink, generally by making it no longer watertight.
An iceberg sank the Titanic.
British battleships sank the Bismarck.
Sink
(transitive) To push (something) into something.
The joint will hold tighter if you sink a wood screw through both boards.
The dog sank its teeth into the delivery man's leg.
Sink
(transitive) To make by digging or delving.
To sink a well in the ground
Sink
To pot; hit a ball into a pocket or hole.
Sink
To diminish or be diminished.
Sink
To experience apprehension, disappointment, dread, or momentary depression.
Sink
To cause to decline; to depress or degrade.
To sink one's reputation
Sink
(intransitive) To demean or lower oneself; to do something below one's status, standards, or morals.
Sink
To conceal and appropriate.
Sink
To keep out of sight; to suppress; to ignore.
Sink
To drink (especially something alcoholic).
Sink
To pay absolutely.
I have sunk thousands of pounds into this project.
Sink
To reduce or extinguish by payment.
To sink the national debt
Sink
(intransitive) To be overwhelmed or depressed; to fail in strength.
Sink
To die.
Sink
(intransitive) To decrease in volume, as a river; to subside; to become diminished in volume or in apparent height.
Sink
A basin used for holding water for washing.
Sink
A drain for carrying off wastewater.
Sink
(geology) A sinkhole.
Sink
A depression in land where water collects, with no visible outlet.
Sink
A heat sink.
Sink
A place that absorbs resources or energy.
Sink
(ecology) A habitat that cannot support a population on its own but receives the excess of individuals from some other source.
Sink
(uncountable) Descending motion; descent.
An excessive sink rate at touchdown can cause the aircraft's landing gear to collapse.
Sink
(baseball) The motion of a sinker pitch.
Jones has a two-seamer with heavy sink.
Sink
An object or callback that captures events; an event sink.
Sink
(graph theory) A destination vertex in a transportation network.
Sink
An abode of degraded persons; a wretched place.
Sink
A depression in a stereotype plate.
Sink
(theater) A stage trapdoor for shifting scenery.
Sink
(mining) An excavation smaller than a shaft.
Sink
(game development) One or several systems that remove currency from the game's economy, thus controlling or preventing inflation.
Sink
To fall by, or as by, the force of gravity; to descend lower and lower; to decline gradually; to subside; as, a stone sinks in water; waves rise and sink; the sun sinks in the west.
I sink in deep mire.
Sink
To enter deeply; to fall or retire beneath or below the surface; to penetrate.
The stone sunk into his forehead.
Sink
Hence, to enter so as to make an abiding impression; to enter completely.
Let these sayings sink down into your ears.
Sink
To be overwhelmed or depressed; to fall slowly, as so the ground, from weakness or from an overburden; to fail in strength; to decline; to decay; to decrease.
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke.
He sunk down in his chariot.
Let not the fire sink or slacken.
Sink
To decrease in volume, as a river; to subside; to become diminished in volume or in apparent height.
The Alps and Pyreneans sink before him.
Sink
To cause to sink; to put under water; to immerse or submerge in a fluid; as, to sink a ship.
[The Athenians] fell upon the wings and sank a single ship.
Sink
Figuratively: To cause to decline; to depress; to degrade; hence, to ruin irretrievably; to destroy, as by drowping; as, to sink one's reputation.
I raise of sink, imprison or set free.
If I have a conscience, let it sink me.
Thy cruel and unnatural lust of powerHas sunk thy father more than all his years.
Sink
To make (a depression) by digging, delving, or cutting, etc.; as, to sink a pit or a well; to sink a die.
Sink
To bring low; to reduce in quantity; to waste.
You sunk the river repeated draughts.
Sink
To conseal and appropriate.
If sent with ready money to buy anything, and you happen to be out of pocket, sink the money, and take up the goods on account.
Sink
To keep out of sight; to suppress; to ignore.
A courtly willingness to sink obnoxious truths.
Sink
To reduce or extinguish by payment; as, to sink the national debt.
Sink
A drain to carry off filthy water; a jakes.
Sink
A shallow box or vessel of wood, stone, iron, or other material, connected with a drain, and used for receiving filthy water, etc., as in a kitchen.
Sink
A hole or low place in land or rock, where waters sink and are lost; - called also sink hole.
Sink
The lowest part of a natural hollow or closed basin whence the water of one or more streams escapes by evaporation; as, the sink of the Humboldt River.
Sink
Plumbing fixture consisting of a water basin fixed to a wall or floor and having a drainpipe
Sink
(technology) a process that acts to absorb or remove energy or a substance from a system;
The ocean is a sink for carbon dioxide
Sink
A depression in the ground communicating with a subterranean passage (especially in limestone) and formed by solution or by collapse of a cavern roof
Sink
A covered cistern; waste water and sewage flow into it
Sink
Fall or drop to a lower place or level;
He sank to his knees
Sink
Cause to sink;
The Japanese sank American ships in Pearl Harbor
Sink
Pass into a specified state or condition;
He sank into Nirvana
Sink
Go under,
The raft sank and its occupants drowned
Sink
Descend into or as if into some soft substance or place;
He sank into bed
She subsided into the chair
Sink
Appear to move downward;
The sun dipped below the horizon
The setting sun sank below the tree line
Sink
Fall heavily or suddenly; decline markedly;
The real estate market fell off
Sink
Fall or sink heavily;
He slumped onto the couch
My spirits sank
Sink
Embed deeply;
She sank her fingers into the soft sand
He buried his head in her lap
Sink
A basin fixed to a countertop with a drain for washing.
She filled the sink with soapy water to clean the dishes.
Sink
A depression or hollow.
They found a sink in the yard where water collected.
Common Curiosities
Do basins come with faucets?
Not usually; basins are generally not fixed and don't have faucets attached.
Is a bathroom basin the same as a bathroom sink?
In common language, yes, but technically a basin may not have plumbing.
Is a sink always attached to the counter?
Typically, yes, sinks are integrated into counters or stands with plumbing.
Can a sink be portable?
Sinks are generally not portable due to their plumbing connections.
Can a basin be made of glass?
Yes, basins can be made from various materials, including glass.
Are sinks only used for washing hands?
No, sinks are used for a variety of tasks, including washing dishes and food preparation.
Is sink installation a DIY project?
It can be, but proper plumbing knowledge is necessary.
Are there outdoor sinks?
Yes, there are outdoor sinks designed for gardens and patios.
Can a basin have a drain?
Some basins may have a drain, but they're still generally portable.
What is a pedestal basin?
It's a freestanding basin mounted on a pedestal, often found in bathrooms.
Do kitchen sinks come with multiple compartments?
Yes, many kitchen sinks have two or more compartments for different tasks.
Are basins used in surgeries?
Yes, basins are used in medical settings to hold fluids and instruments.
Do all sinks need a water trap?
Yes, to prevent sewer gases from entering the home.
Are vessel sinks considered basins?
Vessel sinks are a type of basin mounted on top of counters, with plumbing.
Can you use a basin to hold ice and beverages?
Yes, basins can be used for various purposes, including holding ice.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
