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

Three foundational pieces added here. —Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

The acceleration, Wasserman said, is deliberate and foundational. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026

The imagery honors a wide spectrum of workers, from street vendors and farm workers to factory employees and rideshare drivers, many of whom are foundational to Los Angeles but often go unseen. —Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026

Computing power is a foundational resource for training advanced AI models, running complex simulations, and enabling data-intensive innovations. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 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