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

To take one step past foundational frameworks, data teams must know how to embed privacy and compliance considerations into everyday operations. —Annie Phan, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

This piece of custom artwork beautifully commemorates a place and day that's foundational to your relationship. —Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2024

The conquest of the Americas represented a foundational story for Spain, and Europe more broadly, as the world-dominating forces of the modern era. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Dec. 2024

Mass Deportations of Undocumented Migrants Trump has said a foundational pledge of his campaign, mass deportations, will be enacted on the first day of his presidency. —Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above