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

This is the same engine that is found in the Ford Expedition Tremor and is an option on the Expedition King Ranch, and is also the foundational engine in the Ford F-150. —Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

If chosen, Araki would likely reinforce the regime's foundational principles and appeal to more traditionalist factions within the clergy. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025

McAvoy has become a foundational player who should have been picked far earlier than No. 14. —The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 21 June 2025

On their own or on the rocks, this trio of surprising amari—perhaps more like the zany stepchild of amaro and vermouth—is on track to be foundational to my warm-weather drinking routine. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 June 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