fundamental

[fuhn-duh-men-tl]

See more synonyms for fundamental on Thesaurus.com

adjective

serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying: fundamental principles; the fundamental structure.
of, relating to, or affecting the foundation or basis: a fundamental revision.
being an original or primary source: a fundamental idea.

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

noun

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.
Also called fundamental note, fundamental tone. Music.
1. the root of a chord.
2. the generator of a series of harmonics.
Physics. the component of lowest frequency in a composite wave.

Origin of fundamental

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin fundāmentālis of, belonging to a foundation. See fundament, -al¹

Related formsfun·da·men·tal·i·ty, fun·da·men·tal·ness, nounfun·da·men·tal·ly, adverbnon·fun·da·men·tal, adjective, nounnon·fun·da·men·tal·ly, adverbun·fun·da·men·tal, adjectiveun·fun·da·men·tal·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. indispensable, primary.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for fundamental

Contemporary Examples

This is a testament to the fundamental human—and American—desire to combine place and possibility.
Will Texas Stay Texan?
David Fontana
December 29, 2014
In the meantime, we continue to support the restoration of fundamental human rights in Cuba.
Why Congress Hates Your Cuban Rum
Tim Mak
December 19, 2014
Moreover, for America there is a fundamental imperative to act.
U.S. Should Make North Korea Pay for Sony Hack
Gordon G. Chang
December 18, 2014
This fundamental conservative idea, that men are brutes so women better take care, is, itself, victim-blaming.
Church Sex Scandals Are Rooted in Theology
Jay Michaelson
December 15, 2014
Yet the Meduza office was full of hope and what the journalists described as a fundamental change—they felt free in Riga.
Russia’s Freest Website Now Lives in Latvia
Anna Nemtsova
November 29, 2014

Historical Examples

For once, he was revealing that fundamental egotism which is the characteristic of all his kind.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
The fundamental element and special glory of popular literature.
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce
In literary affairs, to become the fundamental element in a cone of critics.
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce
But it can do something, and that something is vital and fundamental.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro
The nervous system is the fundamental fact of our earthly life.
The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 10, No. 58, August, 1862
Various

British Dictionary definitions for fundamental

fundamental

adjective

of, involving, or comprising a foundation; basic
of, involving, or comprising a source; primary
music denoting or relating to the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series
of or concerned with the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

noun

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
Also called: fundamental frequency, first harmonic physics
1. the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration
2. the frequency of this component

Derived Formsfundamentality or fundamentalness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for fundamental

adj.

mid-15c., "primary, original, pertaining to a foundation," modeled on Late Latin fundamentalis "of the foundation," from Latin fundamentum "foundation" (see fundament). Fundamentals "primary principles or rules" of anything is from 1630s.

fundamental

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}fundamental

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for fundamental

Contemporary Examples

This is a testament to the fundamental human—and American—desire to combine place and possibility.

In the meantime, we continue to support the restoration of fundamental human rights in Cuba.

Moreover, for America there is a fundamental imperative to act.

This fundamental conservative idea, that men are brutes so women better take care, is, itself, victim-blaming.

Yet the Meduza office was full of hope and what the journalists described as a fundamental change—they felt free in Riga.

Historical Examples

For once, he was revealing that fundamental egotism which is the characteristic of all his kind.

The fundamental element and special glory of popular literature.

In literary affairs, to become the fundamental element in a cone of critics.

But it can do something, and that something is vital and fundamental.

The nervous system is the fundamental fact of our earthly life.

fundamental

Word Origin and History for fundamental

adj.

Origin of fundamental