foundational

adjective

foun·​da·​tion·​al fau̇n-ˈdā-sh(ə-)nəl 

: of, relating to, or forming or serving as a base or foundation : fundamental

foundational principles/doctrines

These foundational volumes proved to be, each in its own way, enabling gestures for the growth of sophisticated theories and critical practices in African, Caribbean, and African American literatures.

—Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Property was, in a sense, foundational to culture, since English political economy rested on the private ownership of land, and the political economy, in turn, largely structured social relations.

—Jill Lepore

Philosophy is a foundational discipline. Not only does it do the spadework that makes the construction of other disciplines possible; it also pays constant attention to the foundations of those disciplines as they are practiced.

—Cognitive Science

foundationally adverb

Examples of foundational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Making the mousse alone will teach you three foundational pastry techniques, and they’re all hidden in plain sight. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026

Executives should look to embed security by design in all data projects—not as an afterthought, but as a foundational principle. — Jess Turner, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Consider that foundational cast members Vicki and Tamra Judge ran out of steam and got fired at the end of season 14 and are now back to relitigate years-old conflicts on season 20. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026

The underlying signal processing draws on foundational research from the INSIDE Institute for NeuroAI, translating complex non-invasive BCI (brain-computer interface) concepts into a practical, gel-free form factor for daily life. — New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foundational

• formational
• gestational
• gradational
• locational
• mutational
• notational
• relational
• rotational
• sensational
• translational
• vibrational
• vocational