fundament

American  

[fuhn-duh-muhnt] / ˈfʌn də mənt /

noun

1. the buttocks.

2. the anus.

3. a base or basic principle; underlying part; foundation.

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fundament British  

/ ˈfʌndəmənt /

noun

1. euphemistic the buttocks

2. the natural features of the earth's surface, unaltered by man

3. a base or foundation, esp of a building

4. a theory, principle, or underlying basis

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Etymology

Origin of fundament

1250–1300; < Latin fundāmentum foundation; replacing Middle English fondement < Old French. See found ¹, -ment

Example Sentences

And fundament is an old euphemism for “buttocks.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Stevo Pendarovski, president of North Macedonia, called peace “the fundament of everything.”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2023

The Princeton-based composer, 32, collapses perceptions between East and West, electronic and acoustic, fundament and future.

From Washington Post • Jan. 22, 2022

But this isn’t the first time a coach has sacralized football as the fundament of America.

From The Guardian • Jul. 25, 2018

These are a more serious nuisance than the former, for they cause a very troublesome irritation about the fundament, which sometimes sadly annoys the horse.

From Domestic Animals History and description of the horse, mule, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and farm dogs; with directions for their management, breeding, crossing, rearing, feeding, and preparation for a profitable market; also their diseases and remedies. Together with full directions for the management of the dairy. by Allen, Richard L.