fundamental
- 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.
- 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.
- the root of a chord.
- the generator of a series of harmonics.
- Physics. the component of lowest frequency in a composite wave.
Origin of fundamental
Synonyms for fundamental
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for fundamental
major, paramount, integral, crucial, indispensable, constitutional, elemental, theoretical, underlying, necessary, vital, significant, radical, elementary, central, principal, intrinsic, essential, structural, foundationExamples from the Web for fundamental
Contemporary Examples of fundamental
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 of fundamental
For once, he was revealing that fundamental egotism which is the characteristic of all his kind.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
The fundamental element and special glory of popular literature.
The Devil's DictionaryAmbrose Bierce
In literary affairs, to become the fundamental element in a cone of critics.
The Devil's DictionaryAmbrose Bierce
But it can do something, and that something is vital and fundamental.
Heroes of the TelegraphJ. Munro
A submission to the will of the majority is a fundamental principle of our institutions.
Cleveland Past and PresentMaurice Joblin
fundamental
- 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
- a principle, law, etc, that serves as the basis of an idea or system
- the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series
- the bass note of a chord in root position
- Also called: fundamental frequency, first harmonic physics
- the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration
- the frequency of this component
Word Origin and History for fundamental
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.