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

Shipping is a foundational input into nearly every good that Americans consume, meaning higher shipping prices ultimately translate into higher prices at the gas pump and on store shelves. —Katelyn Bledsoe, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026

The research is supported by the Del Mar Foundation, a nonprofit that invests in local programs and events, including foundational scientific research. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026

Yet while Vitello is not blameless in the Giants’ poor start, there aren’t many buttons Vitello can push when the team’s foundational players are collectively underperforming. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 May 2026

The Trojan War was the foundational story of the Greeks, who are the foundational thinkers of the West, and the Gospels are the foundational moral ethos of the West. —Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 7 May 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