foundational

American  

[faun-day-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

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Etymology

Origin of foundational

foundation ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foundational

"This is a foundational discovery that shows the eye is not as closed a system as we previously thought," said Dr. Gupta.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

The teacher says the lessons will be tailored to "different ages and stages" with younger pupils needing to be focused on foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills before moving on to practical uses of AI.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

“We believe that SPCX’s unrivaled launch capabilities represent the foundational competitive advantage that enables all other parts of its business,” Godyn said in a note to clients, labeling the recent Starship mission a “major” milestone.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

The second is remaining the world’s pre-eminent economy, which is foundational to having the pre-eminent military.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

In this sense, statistics is to probability as engineering is to physics—an applied science based on a more intellectually stimulating foundational discipline.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

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Related Words

• basic
• cardinal
• central
• crucial
• elemental
• fundamental
• key
• requisite
• rudimentary

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