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 Cold War reinforced the emphasis on libraries as foundational to self-government. — Alex H. Poole, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026

The sprawling saga introduces many of the foundational tenets of Hindu spirituality and the storytelling principles that continue to inform all of Bollywood cinema. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026

Data centers could be the next foundational infrastructure, like the railroads, power plants and farms before them. — Karishma Mandal, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026

There is the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau on an island in the Loire Valley, plagued by flooding, as well as the opposite—receding water levels that expose its wooden, foundational beams to air and decomposition. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foundational

• formational
• gestational
• gradational
• locational
• mutational
• notational
• relational
• rotational
• sensational
• translational
• vibrational
• vocational