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

For CEOs managing high-stakes decisions, nonstop demands, and the quiet weight of personal responsibilities, Jassy's three pieces of advice offer a foundational framework to protect your clarity, capacity, and composure at the top. —Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

On Wednesday evening, the same day that Rubio announced the decision, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng touted people-to-people exchanges as foundational to U.S.-China relations. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 May 2025

Cody Rhodes, a foundational figure in the launch of All Elite Wrestling and a former WWE Champion, recently opened up alongside his wife, Brandi Rhodes, about the portrayal of their departure from AEW in early 2022. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025

By the time the pandemic began to subside, that nascent publicity ecosystem had crystallized into something foundational; just a few years later, there’s an expectation that even presidential candidates should pay patronage to these new outposts. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 May 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