Usually abstract and somewhat formal, referring to the essential basis or central structure that supports a system, idea, organization, right, or policy.
This is a problem that concerns the foundation of the system.
その発言は民主主義の根幹を揺るがした。
That remark shook the foundations of democracy.
2
noun
root and trunk
Literal use for the roots and trunk of a tree or plant; much less common than the abstract sense and most likely in botanical, forestry, or descriptive contexts.
