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

That movie is like the most foundational piece of art in my life. —Kennedy French, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026

Reliable, affordable electricity is foundational to economic growth. —Chris Cate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

At the exact moment AI literacy became a foundational workplace skill, most colleges went in the opposite direction. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026

Those rules are chiefly set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, which since 1994 has served as the foundational treaty establishing global legal standards for ocean usage, resource management, and maritime jurisdictions. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Apr. 2026

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