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Synonyms

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.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of foundational

foundation ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )

Vocabulary lists containing foundational

Important

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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.

“Animal protein remains top of mind for consumers and continues to gain momentum as a foundational part of a healthy diet,” Tyson CEO Donnie King said during the company’s earnings call on Monday.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

“It was foundational and had such a wonderful impact in creating a more multiracial democracy where our representatives look more like the general population,” Klein said.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

Her harp playing, her powerful approach to the organ, her string arrangements and her piano work are all foundational to the genre.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

“So, yeah, I think it really does say something pretty foundational to choose to invest only in the one and not the other.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

The result, a compact treatise titled Generation of Animals, would serve as a foundational text for human genetics just as Plato’s Republic was a founding text for political philosophy.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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.