elementary

[ el-uh-men-tuh-ree, -tree ]

adjective

1. pertaining to or dealing with elements, rudiments, or first principles:

   an elementary grammar.

2. of or relating to an elementary school:

   elementary teachers.

3. of the nature of an ultimate constituent; simple or uncompounded.
4. pertaining to the four elements, earth, water, air, and fire, or to the great forces of nature; elemental.
5. Chemistry. of or noting one or more elements.

elementary

/ -trɪ; ˌɛlɪˈmɛntərɪ /

adjective

1. not difficult; simple; rudimentary
2. of or concerned with the first principles of a subject; introductory or fundamental
3. maths (of a function) having the form of an algebraic, exponential, trigonometric, or a logarithmic function, or any combination of these
4. chem another word for elemental

Derived Forms

• ˌeleˈmentarily, adverb
• ˌeleˈmentariness, noun

Other Words From

• el·e·men·tar·i·ly [el-, uh, -men-, ter, -, uh, -lee], adverb
• ele·menta·ri·ness noun
• nonel·e·menta·ry adjective
• postel·e·menta·ry adjective
• preel·e·menta·ry adjective
• quasi-ele·menta·ry adjective
• super·ele·menta·ry adjective
• transel·e·menta·ry adjective
• unel·e·menta·ry adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of elementary¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English elementare (from Middle French elementaire ), from Latin elementārius. See element, -ary

Synonym Study

Elementary, primary, rudimentary refer to what is basic and fundamental. Elementary refers to the introductory, simple, easy facts or parts of a subject that must necessarily be learned first in order to understand succeeding ones: elementary arithmetic. Primary may mean much the same as elementary; however, it usually emphasizes the idea of what comes first even more than that of simplicity: primary steps. Rudimentary applies to what is undeveloped or imperfect: a rudimentary form of government.

Example Sentences

Representatives from The Onion told the New York Times that its bid was sanctioned by the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, who successfully sued Jones for $1.4 billion in a defamation lawsuit.

From Salon

More than 400 campuses in the district are elementary schools, at which the vast majority of students do not have cellphones.

From Los Angeles Times

The estimate is based in part on an assumption that most elementary schools, where student phone use is rare, will not need pouches or other items from the list of options, Chait said.

From Los Angeles Times

Finally elementary particles are protons, electrons, neutrons and all other particles that are smaller than an atom.

From Salon

As authorities determined what to do, Glendale Unified School District officials ordered the high school and nearby La Crescenta Elementary to shelter in place.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• elemental
• fundamental
• rudimentary
• straightforward
• underlying