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

While the story is fundamentally the same as the original production — man discovers wife is having an affair, man then plots for his wife’s murder, man then must evade the cops — Hatcher brings the story to the 21st century in many ways. —Amy Reyes may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026

The manner in which the department attracts and engages future officers was about to fundamentally change. —Joy Lepola-Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026

This connectivity allows for personalized upselling that was previously impossible in a traditional retail environment, fundamentally changing the ROI of a physical square foot. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 May 2026

It is being shaped by constrained supply, external shocks, and a new level of buyer urgency that is fundamentally altering decision-making. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 13 May 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