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Synonyms

fundamental

American  
[fuhn-duh-men-tl] / ˌfʌn dəˈmɛn tl /

adjective

  1. serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying.

    fundamental principles;

    the fundamental structure.

    Synonyms:
    primary, indispensable
  2. of, relating to, or affecting the foundation or basis.

    a fundamental revision.

  3. being an original or primary source.

    a fundamental idea.

  4. Music. (of a chord) having its root as its lowest note.


noun

  1. a basic principle, rule, law, or the like, that serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part.

    to master the fundamentals of a trade.

  2. Also called fundamental tone.  Also called fundamental note,Music.

    1. the root of a chord.

    2. the generator of a series of harmonics.

  3. Physics. the component of lowest frequency in a composite wave.

fundamental British  
/ ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəl /

adjective

  1. of, involving, or comprising a foundation; basic

  2. of, involving, or comprising a source; primary

  3. music denoting or relating to the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series

  4. of or concerned with the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a principle, law, etc, that serves as the basis of an idea or system

    1. the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series

    2. the bass note of a chord in root position

  2. Also called: fundamental frequency.   first harmonicphysics

    1. the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

    2. the frequency of this component

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • fundamentality noun
  • fundamentally adverb
  • fundamentalness noun
  • nonfundamental adjective
  • nonfundamentally adverb
  • unfundamental adjective
  • unfundamentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of fundamental

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin fundāmentālis “of, belonging to a foundation”; fundament, -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Beyond these concerns, there is a more fundamental problem: India has been making policy without a recent population baseline.

From BBC

“The M&A market is focused on the long-term fundamentals: right deal, right price and right strategic rationale.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.A.E.’s newly assertive approach is a fundamental shift in its strategic outlook, said officials from a Persian Gulf state.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is to say that the dollar is somewhat stronger than fundamentals alone justify—and for traders looking to chase the dollar rally, that’s important to know.

From Barron's

This is to say that the dollar is somewhat stronger than fundamentals alone justify—and for traders looking to chase the dollar rally, that’s important to know.

From Barron's