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

Americans are navigating a labor market with opportunities for some but not for all, sidelining job seekers and leaving many of the youngest job hunters without the foundational roles and skills needed for their futures. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

The report also alleged that the foundational promise of the Joliet Treatment Center — available treatment for the mentally troubled — had gone largely unfulfilled. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Business schools have traditionally provided foundational knowledge, while the workplace supplied many of the experiences through which graduates developed judgment. — Murugan Anandarajan, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026

Academic freedom is foundational to the American research university. — David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 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