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

The scripture readings at the Mass focused on the figure of St. Peter and the central passage from John’s Gospel, a text seen as foundational to the pope’s ministry as St. Peter’s successor. —Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 18 May 2025

Central to this advocacy is the call for fair and equitable nurse reimbursement, which not only recognizes the skill and scope of the nursing practice but also serves as a foundational investment in health care delivery. —Shakira Henderson, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2025

The issue is not whether citizenship laws should change—Congress can always legislate within constitutional bounds—but whether the executive can reinterpret foundational constitutional rights unilaterally, without effective judicial review. —Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

Given that Ortega and Keoghan are highly talented actors who can enliven the limpest material, this feels more like a more foundational issue in the writing and directing. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 16 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