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

The simple truth is that designing more cost efficient foundational models like DeepSeek’s is not at all a new thing. —Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025

Fire control was regarded as foundational; suppressing fires became an index of success. —Stephen Pyne, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025

This foundational sense of ragtag adventure and curiosity informs the music Totsuko, Kimi, and Rui eventually produce and perform as their band White Cat Hall. —Kayti Burt, Rolling Stone, 28 Jan. 2025

This could be catastrophic for venture capital firms that went all-in on foundational model companies. —Jason Lalljee, Axios, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above