integral

[in-ti-gruhl, in-teg-ruhl]

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adjective

of, relating to, or belonging as a part of the whole; constituent or component: integral parts.

necessary to the completeness of the whole: This point is integral to his plan.

consisting or composed of parts that together constitute a whole.

entire; complete; whole: the integral works of a writer.

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

Mathematics. pertaining to or involving integrals.

noun

an integral whole.

Mathematics.

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.
a primitive.
any of several analogous quantities.Compare improper integral, line integral, multiple integral, surface integral.

Nearby words

Origin of integral

From the Medieval Latin word integrālis, dating back to 1545–55. See integer, -al¹

SYNONYMS FOR integral

2. essential, indispensable, requisite.

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Related formsin·te·gral·i·ty, nounin·te·gral·ly, adverbun·in·te·gral, adjectiveun·in·te·gral·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for integral

Sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll have always been an integral part of her story.
Sex, Drugs, and Kate Moss: Secrets of a Wild Supermodel|Tom Sykes|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Throwing up is an integral part of the ceremony, and shamans encourage it.
Spirit Tripping With Colombian Shamans|Chris Allbritton|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is because espionage has become an integral part of American statecraft.
The CIA in Germany: A Secret History|Matthew Aid|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At first this is integral to the fantasy; it's visually stimulating.
Threesomes are Actually a Terrible Idea|Aurora Snow|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Not so this time, as Fury had an integral reason for being there, and added muscle, brains and plenty of sharp lines.
How ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Finally Found Its Way|Jason Lynch|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The border of a tapestry must appertain, must be an integral part of the whole design for the sake of artistic harmony.
The Tapestry Book|Helen Churchill Candee
If it be so, it is quite clear that it is one of those vices which are an integral part of original sin.
The Defendant|G.K. Chesterton
As "Jim" he was almost an integral part of the city of "Butterflies."
The Galaxy, June 1877|Various
Thus, the priest is no longer isolated from the people; he has become an integral part of it.
Vanished Halls and Cathedrals of France|George Warton Edwards
Adding together these values for the three steps we get the integral for the cycle.
Lord Kelvin|Andrew Gray

British Dictionary definitions for integral

integral

adjective (ˈɪntɪɡrəl, ɪnˈtɛɡrəl)

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

intact; entire

formed of constituent parts; united

maths

of or involving an integral
involving or being an integer

noun (ˈɪntɪɡrəl)

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)Symbol: ʃ

a complete thing; whole

Derived Formsintegrality (ˌɪntɪˈɡrælɪtɪ), nounintegrally, adverb

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 integral

integral

adj.

late 15c., "of or pertaining to a whole," from Middle French intégral (14c.), from Medieval Latin integralis "forming a whole," from Latin integer "whole" (see integer). Related: Integrally. As a noun, 1610s, from the adjective.

Science definitions for integral