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BASENAME

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
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NAME

basename - strip directory and suffix from filenames  

SYNOPSIS

basename ,NAME /[,SUFFIX/]
basename ,OPTION/... ,NAME/...  

DESCRIPTION

Print NAME with any leading directory components removed. If specified, also remove a trailing SUFFIX.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#basenam-a'-a, --multipleX'tty: link'

support multiple arguments and treat each as a NAME

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#basenam-s'-s, --suffix=,SUFFIXX'tty: link'/

remove a trailing SUFFIX; implies -a

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#basenam-z'-z, --zeroX'tty: link'

end each output line with NUL, not newline

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/basename#basenam-help'--helpX'tty: link'

display this help and exit

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/basename#basenam-version'--versionX'tty: link'

output version information and exit

 

EXAMPLES

basename /usr/bin/sort

-> "sort"

basename include/stdio.h .h

-> "stdio"

basename -s .h include/stdio.h

-> "stdio"

basename -a any/str1 any/str2

-> "str1" followed by "str2"

 

AUTHOR

Written by David MacKenzie.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>  

SEE ALSO

dirname(1), readlink(1)

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/basename>
or available locally via: info aq(coreutils) basename invocationaq

Packaged by Gentoo (9.10 (p0))
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

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Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

EXAMPLES

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

SEE ALSO