basil vs herb

basil and herb both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
basil	Yes	No	No	No
herb	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, herb is a hypernym of basil; that is, herb is a word with a broader meaning than basil:

As nouns, herb is a hypernym of basil; that is, herb is a word with a broader meaning than basil:

basil: any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum
herb: a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests

Other hypernyms of basil include herbaceous plant.

basil (noun)	herb (noun)
leaves of the common basil; used fresh or dried	aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savory qualities
any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum	a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests