foundational

American  

[foun-dey-shuh-nl] / faʊnˈdeɪ ʃə nl /

Rarely foundationary

adjective

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• foundationally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of foundational

foundation ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Just as railroads, electric grids, and the Internet reshaped prior economic eras, we believe SpaceX is building the foundational platform for the next generation of industrial capacity,” he wrote.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026

It feels like this foundational American myth that governments and American organizations have really latched on to.

From Slate • Jul. 3, 2026

The former, located in New York Harbor and the enduring symbol of our foundational ideal, is often seen from the front.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Kindergarten through 2nd graders at Laurel Elementary in Compton participate in a summer bridge program to continue learning foundational math skills if they need a boost for concepts introduced during the school year.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

Discovery is not in itself a scientific idea but rather an idea that is foundational for science: we might call it a metascientific idea.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• central
• constitutional
• crucial
• elemental
• elementary
• essential
• indispensable
• integral
• intrinsic
• major
• necessary
• paramount
• principal
• radical
• significant
• structural
• theoretical
• underlying
• vital