English Reference
Adverb

fundamentally

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US /ˌfəndəˈmɛnəɫi/ UK /fˌʌndəmˈɛntəli/ fun·da·men·tal·ly

adv.at the most basic or important level. You use this to talk about the core truth of something, even if it looks different on the outside.

adv.relating to the most basic or essential parts of something; in a way that affects the core nature of a person, thing, or idea.


SIMPLE

The two plans are fundamentally the same.

CONTEXTUAL

While the new software looks different, the way it processes data remains fundamentally unchanged.

COMPLEX

The philosopher argued that despite cultural differences, all human societies are fundamentally driven by the same basic needs for security and social connection.

Usage

Typically placed before the adjective or verb it modifies to emphasize a core characteristic.

Usage fundamentally different · fundamentally important

Perhaps the biggest lesson from our year-long investigation was this: people still fundamentally care about their High Streets.

BBC News· 7 Jun 2026

Artificial intelligence has been used to develop a "fundamentally new" type of vaccine that could protect against large swathes of viruses and prevent pandemics, say researchers.

BBC News· 4 Jun 2026

Common in science writing


From fundamental + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated