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

Legislative sessions: 140 days every odd-numbered year The every-other-year part dates back to the Texas Constitution of 1876, which, although amended dozens of times since then, remains the state government's foundational document. —John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

It is rooted in the foundational logic of international law itself, specifically in the principle of customary law. —Majeed Javdani, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

That decision removed a foundational principle that allowed federal agencies to interpret and enforce laws passed by Congress. —Monifa Bandele, Essence, 29 July 2025

Having decided that wealth disparity is the foundational cause of all others, Perry presents a remedy that’s scaled accordingly: a reparations program that could cost as much as fourteen trillion dollars. —Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 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