fundamental unit

British  

noun

1. one of a set of unrelated units that form the basis of a system of units. For example, the metre, kilogram, and second are fundamental units of the SI system

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Example Sentences

The billable hour as the fundamental unit of business for professional services is so widespread that it’s difficult to remember that it is a fairly recent innovation, becoming prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Underlying these conceptual frameworks is the recognition that the fundamental unit of the theater isn’t the performer alone but the performer in physical proximity to an audience.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2020

Councils are Britain’s fundamental unit of local government, dealing with an array of basic needs: trash collection, public transport, libraries, town planning, and care for children and other vulnerable people, among other things.

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2018

The offensive line, full of four Division I-caliber returners, is the most fundamental unit you’ll find in Montgomery County.

From Washington Post • Sep. 7, 2017

Together, they realize that the cell is the fundamental unit of life.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman