fundamentally
Americanadverb
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in a fundamental and essential way; centrally and foundationally.
a nine-point plan that will fundamentally transform our system of eldercare.
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as regards the basic nature, character, or truth of something; basically and often emphatically.
Fundamentally, they just want their independence.
adverb
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in a way that affects the basis or essentials; utterly
the terms of engagement have been fundamentally altered
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(sentence modifier) in essence; at heart
fundamentally, we want our lives to be safe
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fundamentally
First recorded in 1600–20; fundamental ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
The word fundamentally isn’t fun, exactly, but it does describe things that are true through and through. Vegetarians and meat eaters often have fundamentally different ideas about what makes a healthy meal. Anything fundamental has to do with the foundation or bare bones of something. Similarly, anything described fundamentally is getting down to the essence. Lying is fundamentally dishonest. If something is fundamentally wrong, don’t do it! If you and your dad have fundamentally different opinions about restaurants, it’s better to make dinner at home. This word means about the same as basically or essentially. If something is fundamentally true, it's true in a deep sense.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most fundamentally of all, climate change may actually change the taste of West Country cider.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
More fundamentally, as tools and techniques around AI models continue to develop, the basic need to provide models with business data will always exist, Pan says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
If a claim is substantiated, the plagiarist is seen as sloppy or lazy at best, and fundamentally dishonest at worst.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
“We are going to a fundamentally interesting place, and there’s rich potential for discovery there, and we’re going to explore it in a very cool way.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The intuition underlying moral-uplift strategies is fundamentally sound: our communities will never thrive if we fail to respect ourselves and one another.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
