fundamental

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fun·da·men·tal

(fŭn′də-mĕn′tl)

adj.

a. Of or relating to the foundation or base; elementary: the fundamental laws of the universe.

b. Forming or serving as an essential component of a system or structure; central: an example that was fundamental to the argument.

c. Of great significance or entailing major change: a book that underwent fundamental revision.

2. Of or relating to the lowest possible frequency or the lowest frequency component of a vibrating element, system, periodic wave, or quantity: a fundamental chord.

3. Music Having the root in the bass: a fundamental chord.

1. Something that is an essential or necessary part of a system or object.

2. The lowest frequency of a periodically varying quantity or of a vibrating system.

fun′da·men′tal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fundamental

(ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəl)

adj

1. of, involving, or comprising a foundation; basic

2. of, involving, or comprising a source; primary

3. (Music, other) music denoting or relating to the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series

4. (General Physics) of or concerned with the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

5. a principle, law, etc, that serves as the basis of an idea or system: teaching small children the fundamentals of road safety.

6. (Music, other)

a. the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series

b. the bass note of a chord in root position

7. (General Physics) physics

a. the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

b. the frequency of this component

ˌfundamenˈtality, ˌfundaˈmentalness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fun•da•men•tal

(ˌfʌn dəˈmɛn tl)

adj.

1. serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying: fundamental principles.

2. of, pertaining to, or affecting the foundation or basis: a fundamental revision.

3. being an original or primary source: a fundamental idea.

4. a basic principle, rule, law, or the like that serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part.

a. the root of a chord in music.

b. the lowest component in a series of harmonics.

6. Physics. the component of lowest frequency in a composite wave.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin fundāmentālis]

fun`da•men′tal•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	fundamental - any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business; "fundamentals include a company's growth, revenues, earnings, management, and capital structure" factor - anything that contributes causally to a result; "a number of factors determined the outcome"
	2.	fundamental - the lowest tone of a harmonic series first harmonic, fundamental frequency harmonic - a tone that is a component of a complex sound
Adj.	1.	fundamental - serving as an essential component; "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure" cardinal, central, key, primal important, of import - of great significance or value; "important people"; "the important questions of the day"
	2.	fundamental - being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incomatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles" rudimentary, underlying basic - pertaining to or constituting a base or basis; "a basic fact"; "the basic ingredients"; "basic changes in public opinion occur because of changes in priorities"
	3.	fundamental - far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something; "the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred"; "the book underwent fundamental changes"; "committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance"; "profound social changes" profound significant, important - important in effect or meaning; "a significant change in tax laws"; "a significant change in the Constitution"; "a significant contribution"; "significant details"; "statistically significant"

fundamental

adjective

1. central, first, most important, prime, key, necessary, basic, essential, primary, vital, radical, principal, cardinal, integral, indispensable, intrinsic the fundamental principles of democracy
central extra, advanced, secondary, back-up, subsidiary, lesser, incidental, superfluous

2. basic, essential, underlying, organic, profound, elementary, rudimentary The two leaders have very fundamental differences.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

fundamental

adjective

1. Arising from or going to the root or source:

basal, basic, foundational, original, primary, radical, underlying.

2. Of or being an irreducible element:

basic, elemental, elementary, essential, primitive, ultimate, underlying.

3. Constituting or forming part of the essence of something:

basic, constitutional, constitutive, essential, integral, vital.

noun

1. A fundamental irreducible constituent of a whole:

basic, element, essential, rudiment (often used in plural).

Idiom: part and parcel.

2. A fundamental principle or underlying concept:

base, basis, cornerstone, foundation, fundament, root, rudiment (often used in plural).

3. A broad and basic rule or truth:

axiom, law, principle, theorem, universal.

Translations

أساسأصْلي ، جَوْهَري ،أوَّلي، أساسي

podstatnýzákladzákladní

fundamentfundamentalgrundlag

grundlegend fundamental Grundlage prinzipiell

θεμελιώδης

fundamental fundamento piedra angular aspecto básico

põhi-

fondamental fondement abc

fundamentalanosnovaosnovantemeljtemeljni

alapelem

grundvallar-, undirstöîu-undirstaîa, grundvallaratriîi

fondamentale

pagrindinis dalykas

būtiskspamati

fundamental grunntrekk

temeljen

ana çok önemli esas temel

十分重要的基本原则基本的基础的

fundamental

[ˌfʌndəˈmentl]

A. ADJ

1. (= basic) [question, problem, principle] → fundamental
they are being denied their fundamental human rights → se les está privando de los derechos humanos fundamentales

2. (= profound, great) [change, difference] → fundamental
it is a fundamental mistake to think that → es un error fundamental pensar que ...

3. (= essential) → fundamental, esencial
to be fundamental to sth → ser fundamental or esencial para algo
it is fundamental to our understanding of the problem → es fundamental or esencial para que entendamos el problema

4. (= intrinsic) [honesty, good sense] → intrínseco

B. NPL the fundamentals → los fundamentos, lo básico

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

fundamental

[ˌfʌndəˈmɛnt^əl] adj (= underlying) [principle, difference] → fondamental(e), essentiel(e)
to be fundamental to sth → être essentiel(le) à qch

(= far-reaching) [change, error] → fondamental(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

fundamental

adj

(= essential) issue, question, concept → grundlegend; reason → eigentlich; point → zentral; feature, part → wesentlich; fundamental principle/right/beliefs → Grundprinzip nt → /-recht nt → /-überzeugungen pl; fundamental mathematical concepts → Grundbegriffe pl → der Mathematik; of fundamental importance → von grundlegender Bedeutung; carbon is fundamental to life → Kohlenstoff ist für alles Leben grundlegend; fundamental to impressionism was the use of bright colours → die Verwendung von leuchtenden Farben war grundlegend für den Impressionismus

(= basic) problem, difference, contradiction → grundsätzlich; (= basic and deep) change, revolution, shift → grundlegend, umwälzend; (= elementary) mistake, error, flaw → grundlegend, fundamental; I don’t doubt his fundamental goodness → ich zweifle nicht daran, dass er im Grunde ein guter Mensch ist; his fundamental ignorance of this subject → seine fundamentale Unkenntnis auf diesem Gebiet; fundamental structure/form → Grundstruktur f → /-form f; fundamental research → Grundlagenforschung f

(Mus) → Grund-; fundamental note/frequency → Grundton m → /-frequenz f

pl fundamentals (of subject) → Grundbegriffe pl; (of a problem) → Grundlagen pl; the fundamentals of physics → die Grundbegriffe pl → der Physik; to get down to (the) fundamentals → bis zu den Grundlagen vordringen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

fundamental

[ˌfʌndəˈmɛntl] adj → fondamentale
his fundamental honesty → la sua innata onestà

fundamental

(fandəˈmentl) adjective

of great importance; essential; basic. Respect for law and order is fundamental to a peaceful society.

noun

a basic or essential part of any thing. Learning to read is one of the fundamentals of education.

ˌfundaˈmentally adverb

He was fundamentally honest.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

The defects," he added, with a look at the ruined brick-work, "are merely basic and fundamental."

View in context

Throughout the previous pages I have been assuming -- what perhaps should have been laid down at the beginning as a distinct and fundamental proposition -- that every human being in Flatland is a Regular Figure, that is to say of regular construction.

View in context

Will it be said that the FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES of the Confederation were not within the purview of the convention, and ought not to have been varied?

View in context

Both these extremes are to be avoided; which will be done, if the league of Christians, penned by our Savior himself, were in two cross clauses thereof, soundly and plainly expounded: He that is not with us, is against us; and again, He that is not against us, is with us; that is, if the points fundamental and of substance in religion, were truly discerned and distinguished, from points not merely of faith, but of opinion, order, or good intention.

View in context

Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding.

View in context

The fundamental principle on which it rests, that the empire is a community of sovereigns, that the diet is a representation of sovereigns and that the laws are addressed to sovereigns, renders the empire a nerveless body, incapable of regulating its own members, insecure against external dangers, and agitated with unceasing fermentations in its own bowels.

View in context

Besides the fundamental principle already hinted at, I demanded the fresh bloom of youth, pearly teeth, glossy ringlets, and the whole list of lovely items, with the utmost delicacy of habits and sentiments, a silken texture of mind, and, above all, a virgin heart.

View in context

For fear--that is man's original and fundamental feeling; through fear everything is explained, original sin and original virtue.

View in context

I think that what has permanent value in the outlook of the behaviourists is the feeling that physics is the most fundamental science at present in existence.

View in context

The most fundamental idea, the idea of existence, has not been received by me through sensation; indeed, there is no special sense-organ for the transmission of such an idea."

View in context

We thus see, that although there is a clear and fundamental difference between the mere adhesion of grafted stocks, and the union of the male and female elements in the act of reproduction, yet that there is a rude degree of parallelism in the results of grafting and of crossing distinct species.

View in context

And the worst of it was, and the root of it all, that it was all in accord with the normal fundamental laws of over-acute consciousness, and with the inertia that was the direct result of those laws, and that consequently one was not only unable to change but could do absolutely nothing.