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

The site revealed a complex agricultural society dating back millennia, fundamentally rewriting Southeast Asian prehistory, the scholars say. —Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026

But her motivation, actions, and payoff are fundamentally different from those of her archetypical brothers and sisters. —Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026

That would fundamentally reshape how complex work gets done–first in software development, but then in other professions. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026

And Petitti, presumably with the backing of his schools, favored a ghastly 24-team model that would have fundamentally altered the regular season. —Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 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