fundamentally

American  

[fuhn-duh-men-tl-ee] / ˌfʌn dəˈmɛn tl i /

adverb

1. in a fundamental and essential way; centrally and foundationally.

   a nine-point plan that will fundamentally transform our system of eldercare.

2. as regards the basic nature, character, or truth of something; basically and often emphatically.

   Fundamentally, they just want their independence.

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fundamentally British  

/ ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəlɪ /

adverb

1. in a way that affects the basis or essentials; utterly

   the terms of engagement have been fundamentally altered

2. (sentence modifier) in essence; at heart

   fundamentally, we want our lives to be safe

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Other Word Forms

• nonfundamentally
  adverb
• unfundamentally
  adverb

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

See Examples For:

fundamentally

The Sept. 11 attacks and the advent of social media fundamentally changed the shape of country music and what it meant to be a chart-topper.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

As Carney noted: "We cannot depend on traditional alliances when the rules of the game have fundamentally changed."

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

“What we have seen so far looks much more like an expansion of the existing sanctions regime than a fundamentally new economic weapon.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Their calculations suggest that, under the right conditions, two fundamentally different classes of quantum particles -- bosons and fermions -- can combine to create stable, self-bound "quantum droplets."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Whenever we have something that we are good at—something we care about—that experience and passion fundamentally change the nature of our first impressions.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell