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

Together, these guardrails create a foundational leadership operating system that enables leaders to carry immense responsibility without cracks showing in public. —Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Regularly vacuuming and sweeping are foundational in hardwood care. —Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025

But more than 26 years later, these mischaracterizations endured, becoming foundational lore for young people who want to follow in the killers’ footsteps. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025

But those foundational insights are what made this possible. —Meghie Rodrigues, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foundational

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