fundamental

American  

[fuhn-duh-men-tl] / ˌfʌn dəˈmɛn tl /

adjective

1. 

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

   fundamental principles;

   the fundamental structure.

   Synonyms:

   primary, indispensable

2. of, relating to, or affecting the foundation or basis.

   a fundamental revision.

3. being an original or primary source.

   a fundamental idea.

4. Music. (of a chord) having its root as its lowest note.

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noun

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

   to master the fundamentals of a trade.

2. Also called fundamental tone, fundamental note. Music.

   1. the root of a chord.

   2. the generator of a series of harmonics.

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

fundamental British  

/ ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəl /

adjective

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

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

3. music denoting or relating to the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series

4. of or concerned with the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

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noun

1. a principle, law, etc, that serves as the basis of an idea or system

2. 1. the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series

   2. the bass note of a chord in root position

3. Also called: fundamental frequency, first harmonic. physics

   1. the component of lowest frequency in a complex vibration

   2. the frequency of this component

Other Word Forms

• fundamentality
  noun
• fundamentalness
  noun
• nonfundamental
  adjective
• unfundamental
  adjective
• fundamentally
  adverb
• nonfundamentally
  adverb
• unfundamentally
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of fundamental

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin fundāmentālis “of, belonging to a foundation”; see fundament, -al ¹

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Explanation

When asked what the fundamental, or essential, principles of life are, a teenager might reply, "Breathe. Be a good friend. Eat chocolate. Get gas money." Fundamental has its roots in the Latin word fundamentum, which means "foundation." So if something is fundamental, it is a key point or underlying issue — the foundation, if you will — that the thing is built upon. Teachers argue that math fundamentals include memorizing the times tables and understanding long division. Many people would also argue that math fundamentals should include knowing how to use a calculator and knowing where the calculator's extra batteries are kept.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fundamental

Such improvements could have far-reaching implications for pharmaceutical development, materials research, and the fundamental study of how molecules behave.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026

"But I can say this - that people still believe that we share the fundamental values that they have and that they hold dear."

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026

These are the harms we could—and should—address with the same measures we need to address fundamental AI risks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

Although the evidence is not yet strong enough to establish a discovery, it has renewed interest in a fundamental question: Could dark energy evolve rather than remain constant?

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026

“I didn’t expect fundamental deterioration in the underlying mortgage pools to hit critical levels for a couple years,” he said—when the teaser rates would vanish and monthly payments would skyrocket.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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Related Words

• central
• constitutional
• crucial
• elemental
• elementary
• essential
• indispensable
• integral
• intrinsic
• major
• necessary
• paramount
• principal
• radical
• significant
• structural
• theoretical
• underlying
• vital

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