Synonyms

foundational

American

[foun-dey-shuh-nl] / faʊnˈdeɪ ʃə nl /

Rarely foundationary

adjective

of or relating to the basis or groundwork on which something rests or is built; needing to be understood or established at the beginning.

We believe that fostering a strong local community is a foundational component of our inner-city scholarship program, guiding everything else we do.

Other Word Forms

foundationally adverb

Etymology

Origin of foundational

foundation ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

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.

Fundamentally shift how and when technology is introduced in schools: Students should learn how to use AI tools responsibly early in their education, alongside the continued honing of foundational skills — logic, reasoning and analytical abilities.

From MarketWatch

AI is likely to remain the key driver for tech stocks, thanks to DeepSeek’s new framework, which proposes a rethink of the fundamental architecture used to train foundational AI models.

From The Wall Street Journal

He faintly praises foundational laws regulating corporations and protecting workers as “real if measured achievements.”

From The Wall Street Journal

SoftBank said the buy will strengthen its ability to build, scale and finance the foundational infrastructure needed for next-generation AI services and applications, advancing its mission to become a leading artificial super intelligence provider.

From The Wall Street Journal

If confirmed, the results would challenge a foundational idea in astronomy that has guided research for nearly 50 years.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023