rudimentary

Often ru·di·men·tal

[roo-duh-men-tuh-ree, -tree]

adjective

1. pertaining to rudiments or first principles; elementary.

   a rudimentary knowledge of geometry.

   Synonyms: initial, fundamental
   Antonyms: advanced

2. Biology.,  of the nature of a rudiment; undeveloped or vestigial.

   Synonyms: embryonic
   Antonyms: mature

3. in an early, imperfect stage or form.

   How can we improve upon this admittedly rudimentary theory?

rudimentary

/ ˌruːdɪˈmɛntərɪ /

adjective

1. basic; fundamental; not elaborated or perfected

2. incompletely developed; vestigial

   rudimentary leaves

Other Word Forms

• rudimentarily adverb
• rudimentariness noun
• nonrudimental adjective
• nonrudimentarily adverb
• nonrudimentarilyness noun
• nonrudimentary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rudimentary¹

First recorded in 1600–20; rudiment + -ary

Synonym Study

See elementary.

Example Sentences

Eventually, an aid group got Butler a camper where she set up rudimentary solar panels and built a porch.

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I couldn’t with any conviction answer rudimentary questions such as how much does Cameron even want to play football?

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The intent of the science fair — a rudimentary act of frustration and hope — was to garner more public attention for the life-saving and cutting-edge research they quietly conduct behind closed lab doors.

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Five thousand families were living under rudimentary tarpaulins in the camp we visited, surrounded by mud and with minimal sanitation.

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It revolved around rudimentary weightlifting; first and foremost, sets of back squats the day after he took the mound.

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Related Words

• elemental 
• elementary 
• embryonic 
• primitive 
• simple