fundamental

fun·da·men·tal
F4U1N1D2A1M3E1N1T1A1L1
Canada, US, UK/ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/Canada, US, UK[fʌn.dəˈmɛn.tɫ̩]Australia, New Zealand/ˌfɐn.dəˈmen.təl/Australia, New Zealand[fɐn.dəˈmen.tɫ̩]

noun

A basic truth, elementary concept, principle, rule, or law. An individual fundamental will often serve as a building block used to form a complex idea.

“one of the fundamentals of linear algebra”

Similar
elementaryunderlyinggroundlayingcardinalcentralkeyprimalimportant
OriginMiddle English fundamental ← Latin fundāmentālis ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? →
CommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounfundamental (plural fundamentals)

plural fundamentals

  1. singulargenericA basic truth, elementary concept, principle, rule, or law. An individual fundamental will often serve as a building block used to form a complex idea.

    Personal leadership is a fundamental of successful government.

    1928, Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Happy Warrior Alfred E. Smith, Houghton Mifflin, →OCLC, →OL, page 28
  2. pluralgenericA collection of essential component ideas that are often grouped together to serve as the foundational basis of a complex idea.

    one of the fundamentals of linear algebra

    2 more examples

    When any one offers me a compleat Catalogue of his Fundamentals, he does not unreaſonably demand me to quit mine for nothing[…]

    1722, John Locke, The Works of John Locke ...: With Alphabetical Tables ..., page 572

    Absolute or Ultimate Truth... may be for ever unattainable... the fundamentals of to-day... may in the fullness of time be displaced by still more fundamental conceptions.

    1920, Frederick Soddy, Science and life: Aberdeen addresses, p. 159. Lecture to the Aberdeen University Christian Union, Marischal College, "Matter, Energy, Consciousness and Spirit" (Apr 25, 1919)
  3. natural sciencesThe lowest frequency of a periodic waveform.
  4. entertainmentThe lowest partial of a complex tone.
adjectivefundamental (comparative more fundamental, superlative most fundamental)

comparative more fundamental · superlative most fundamental

  1. Related to a foundation, base, or basis; serving as a foundation.
  2. Essential; extremely important.

    A need for belonging seems fundamental to humans.

    2 more examples

    a fundamental truth; a fundamental axiom; a fundamental element; fundamental principle; fundamental law

    Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.

    2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21

    Synonyms: elementary, underlying

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveEssential; extremely important.

Similar
elementaryunderlying
Similar
groundlaying

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveserving as an essential component

Similar
cardinalcentralkeyprimalimportantof import

adjectivebeing or involving basic facts or principles

Similar
rudimentaryunderlyingbasic

adjectivefar-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something

Similar
profoundsignificantimportant

nounthe lowest tone of a harmonic series

Similar
fundamental frequencyfirst harmonic
Broader
harmonic
Also see
bare-bonesbasiccardinalcentralfundamental frequencykeyplainprimalprofoundradicalrudimentarysimplestripped downunderlying

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰewbʰ-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰudʰmḗn
  3. Proto-Indo-European*bʰudʰnós
  4. Proto-Indo-European*bʰundʰós
  5. Proto-Italic*fundos
  6. Latinfundus
  7. Latinfundō
  8. Latinfundāmentum
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  11. Latinfundāmentālis
  12. Middle Englishfundamental
  13. Englishfundamental

From Middle English foundamental, fundamental, from Late Latin fundāmentālis, from Latin fundāmentum (“foundation”), from fundō (“to lay the foundation (of something), to found”), from fundus (“bottom”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn. By surface analysis, fundament + -al.

More words from Middle English, Late Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أَسَاسِيّ
  • أَسَاسِيّ (ʔasāsiyy)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Bengali মৌলিক
  • মৌলিক (mōulik)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Bulgarian при́нцип, осно́ва
  • при́нцип (príncip)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • осно́ва (osnóva)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • фундамента́лен (fundamentálen)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • осно́вен (osnóven)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Catalan fonamental, fonamental
  • fonamentala leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • fonamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Chinese Cantonese 基本
  • 基本 (gei¹ bun²)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Chinese Mandarin 基本, 基本
  • 基本 (jīběn)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • 基本 (jīběn)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Czech zásadní, základní
  • zásadnía leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • základnípertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • podstatnýpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Danish fundamental, grundlæggende
  • fundamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • grundlæggendepertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Dutch fundamenteel
  • fundamenteelpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Esperanto fundamenta
  • fundamentapertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Estonian põhi-
  • põhi-pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Finnish fundamentti, perusta
  • fundamenttia leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • perustaa leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • peruskivia leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • perusteeta leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • perustavanlaatuinenpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • olennainenpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • fundamentaalinenpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • perus-pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
French fondement, fondamental
  • fondementa leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • fondamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
German Grundlage, grundlegend
  • Grundlagea leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • grundlegendpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • fundamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • grundsätzlichpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Greek θεμέλιο, θεμελιώδης
  • θεμέλιο (themélio)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • θεμελιώδης (themeliódis)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Hungarian alapvető
  • alapvetőpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Italian fondamento, fondamentale
  • fondamentoa leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • fondamentalepertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Japanese 基本, 基本的な
  • 基本 (kihon)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • 基本的な (kihonteki na)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Korean 기본, 기본적
  • 기본 (gibon)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • 기본적 (gibonjeok)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Latvian fundamentāls
  • fundamentālspertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Māori tūāpapa, whakapū
  • tūāpapaa leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • whakapūpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Norwegian fundamental
  • fundamentala leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
Norwegian Bokmål grunnleggende, fundamental
  • grunnleggendea leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • fundamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • grunnleggendepertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Persian بنیادی, اساسی
  • بنیادی (bonyâdi)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • اساسی (asâsi)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Polish podstawowy, fundamentalny
  • podstawowypertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • fundamentalnypertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Portuguese fundamento, fundamental
  • fundamentoa leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • fundamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Romanian fundament, fundamental
  • fundamenta leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • fundamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • de bazăpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Russian осно́вы, при́нцип
  • осно́вы (osnóvy)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • при́нцип (príncip)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • основно́й (osnovnój)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • основополага́ющий (osnovopolagájuščij)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • фундамента́льный (fundamentálʹnyj)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • суще́ственный (suščéstvennyj)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Spanish fundamental, cimental
  • fundamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • cimentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Swedish grundläggande, fundamental
  • grundläggandepertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • fundamentalpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Tagalog batayan
  • batayanpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Thai พื้นฐาน, เบื้องต้น
  • พื้นฐาน (pʉ́ʉn-tǎan)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • เบื้องต้น (bʉ̂ʉang-dtôn)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Turkish esas, temel
  • esaspertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • temelpertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • anapertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Ukrainian при́нцип, осно́ва
  • при́нцип (prýncyp)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • осно́ва (osnóva)a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article
  • основни́й (osnovnýj)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • фундамента́льний (fundamentálʹnyj)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
  • підставо́вий (pidstavóvyj)pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation
Cite this entry
APA

fundamental. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fundamental

MLA

“fundamental.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fundamental. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fundamental,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fundamental.

Source: fundamental on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.