fundamental

[fuhn-duh-men-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

/ 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

noun

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

2. 1. the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series

   2. the bass note of a chord in root position

3. Also called: fundamental frequency.  first harmonic. physics

   1. the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

   2. the frequency of this component

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fundamental¹

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

Example Sentences

The longer the blackout continues, the more market action continues to decouple from fundamentals and turn toward narrative-driven flows and momentum on unwarranted fundamentals.

Read more on MarketWatch

"Humanitarian aid should never be subject to negotiation -- it's a fundamental right for people in need," she argued.

Read more on Barron's

But the fundamentals that have driven it this far remain firmly in place.

Read more on Barron's

It gets tossed around whenever a group of stocks’ gains look ridiculous compared with their fundamentals.

Read more on Barron's

These fundamental drivers show no signs of weakening, Cawley told MarketWatch, and the persistent demand-supply imbalance, combined with strong investor and industrial appetite “positions silver for sustained gains in the coming quarters.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• central 
• constitutional 
• crucial 
• elemental 
• elementary 
• essential 
• indispensable 
• integral 
• intrinsic 
• major 
• necessary 
• paramount 
• principal 
• radical 
• significant 
• structural 
• theoretical 
• underlying 
• vital