integral

American  

[in-ti-gruhl, in-teg-ruhl] / ˈɪn tɪ grəl, ɪnˈtɛg rəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging as a part of the whole; constituent or component.

   integral parts.

2. necessary to the completeness of the whole.

   This point is integral to his plan.

   Synonyms:

   requisite, indispensable, essential

3. consisting or composed of parts that together constitute a whole.

4. entire; complete; whole.

   the integral works of a writer.

5. Arithmetic. pertaining to or being an integer; not fractional.

6. Mathematics. pertaining to or involving integrals.

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noun

integrals plural

1. an integral whole.

2. Mathematics.

   1. Also called Riemann integral.  the numerical measure of the area bounded above by the graph of a given function, below by the x -axis, and on the sides by ordinates drawn at the endpoints of a specified interval; the limit, as the norm of partitions of the given interval approaches zero, of the sum of the products of the function evaluated at a point in each subinterval times the length of the subinterval.

   2. a primitive.

   3. any of several analogous quantities.

integral British  

/ ˌɪntɪˈɡrælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. (often foll by to) being an essential part (of); intrinsic (to)

2. intact; entire

3. formed of constituent parts; united

4. maths

   1. of or involving an integral

   2. involving or being an integer

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noun

1.  ʃ.  maths the limit of an increasingly large number of increasingly smaller quantities, related to the function that is being integrated (the integrand). The independent variables may be confined within certain limits ( definite integral ) or in the absence of limits ( indefinite integral )

2. a complete thing; whole

integral Scientific  

/ ĭn′tĭ-grəl /

1. Involving or expressed as an integer or integers.

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1. See definite integral indefinite integral

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• integrality
  noun
• unintegral
  adjective
• integrally
  adverb
• unintegrally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• integrals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of integral

From the Medieval Latin word integrālis, dating back to 1545–55. See integer, -al ¹

Explanation

Something that is integral is very important or necessary. If you are an integral part of the team, it means that the team cannot function without you. An integral part is necessary to complete the whole. In this sense, the word essential is a near synonym. In mathematics, there are integrals of functions and equations. Integral is from Middle English, from Medieval Latin integralis "making up a whole," from Latin integer "untouched, entire."

Example Sentences

Trim the whole movie by 80 minutes, and viewers wouldn’t miss any integral story elements or baddie-whooping fights.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026

Ives added that Anthropic “got a special one” in Jumper and that he has been integral in pushing forward the AI boom.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

If you haven’t hunted for a job in a while, you might be surprised by how integral LinkedIn has become.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

On the other, educators point out that schools are responsible for developing the whole child, and that recess is not a break from learning — it is an integral part of it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

The church was an integral part of British society, and it dictated the rules of the class-ordered society that they all lived in.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• elemental
• essential
• indispensable
• intrinsic