fundamentally

adverb

fun·​da·​men·​tal·​ly ˌfən-də-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē 

: with regard to what is basic, essential, or fundamental : at a fundamental level

a fundamentally honest person

a fundamentally new/different approach

Most theories of the internal structure of Venus begin with the assumption that the planet is fundamentally similar to the earth …

—Andrew and Louise Young

: in a basic or fundamental manner

This "disposable" work force is the most important trend in business today, and it is fundamentally changing the relationship between Americans and their jobs.

—Janice Castro

Examples of fundamentally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Emerson likes to temper the earthy anxieties of her lyrics with the acknowledgement that life is, fundamentally, beautiful, and matches that sensibility with production that’s peppy without feeling overbearing. —Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 21 Mar. 2026

Some people fundamentally mistrust ballots counted using a code that humans can't read. —CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026

The scholars argue that decisions involving life and human dignity must remain in human hands, warning that AI systems capable of selecting and executing targets fundamentally alter the moral nature of war. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

Akshat Sahu, Crunchyroll VP of go to market and partnerships marketing for APAC and MENA, says the figures have fundamentally shifted how the company thinks about the market. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fundamentally

• accidentally
• detrimentally
• governmentally
• incidentally
• incrementally
• instrumentally
• sentimentally
• temperamentally
• coincidentally
• environmentally
• experimentally
• mentally