fundamental
Americanadjective
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serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying.
fundamental principles;
the fundamental structure.
- Synonyms:
- primary, indispensable
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of, relating to, or affecting the foundation or basis.
a fundamental revision.
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being an original or primary source.
a fundamental idea.
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Music. (of a chord) having its root as its lowest note.
noun
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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.
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Also called fundamental tone, fundamental note. Music.
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the root of a chord.
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the generator of a series of harmonics.
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Physics. the component of lowest frequency in a composite wave.
adjective
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of, involving, or comprising a foundation; basic
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of, involving, or comprising a source; primary
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music denoting or relating to the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series
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of or concerned with the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration
noun
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a principle, law, etc, that serves as the basis of an idea or system
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the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series
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the bass note of a chord in root position
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Also called: fundamental frequency, first harmonic. physics
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the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration
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the frequency of this component
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fundamental
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin fundāmentālis “of, belonging to a foundation”; see fundament, -al 1
Explanation
When asked what the fundamental, or essential, principles of life are, a teenager might reply, "Breathe. Be a good friend. Eat chocolate. Get gas money." Fundamental has its roots in the Latin word fundamentum, which means "foundation." So if something is fundamental, it is a key point or underlying issue — the foundation, if you will — that the thing is built upon. Teachers argue that math fundamentals include memorizing the times tables and understanding long division. Many people would also argue that math fundamentals should include knowing how to use a calculator and knowing where the calculator's extra batteries are kept.
Vocabulary lists containing fundamental
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
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Vocabulary from "Community is the 'killer app' missing from virtual reality" by Dmitri Williams
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Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India" Speech
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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.
Furthermore, he argued, fundamental questions about what an independent Scotland would look and feel like must be answered now - such as the currency that would be used and how the state pension would work.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Is Julia’s changing perception a result of some fundamental alteration in her husband?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
A scorching hot planet nearly 320 light-years from Earth has provided the first direct evidence for a fundamental assumption about how planets form.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
Deutsche Bank’s base case is that due to fundamental limitations on the speed AI programs and systems can achieve, we won’t reach superintelligence.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
In other words, the second harmonic is still half the length of the fundamental, the third harmonic is one third the length, and so on.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
