elemental
Americanadjective
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of the nature of an ultimate constituent; simple; uncompounded.
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pertaining to rudiments or first principles.
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starkly simple, primitive, or basic.
a spare, elemental prose style; hate, lust, and other elemental emotions.
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pertaining to the agencies, forces, or phenomena of physical nature.
elemental gods.
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comparable to the great forces of nature, as in power or magnitude.
elemental grandeur.
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of, relating to, or of the nature of the four elements, earth, water, air, and fire, or of any one of them.
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pertaining to chemical elements.
adjective
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fundamental; basic; primal
the elemental needs of man
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motivated by or symbolic of primitive and powerful natural forces or passions
elemental rites of worship
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of or relating to earth, air, water, and fire considered as elements
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of or relating to atmospheric forces, esp wind, rain, and cold
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of, relating to, or denoting a chemical element
noun
Other Word Forms
- elementalism noun
- elementally adverb
- nonelemental adjective
- nonelementally adverb
- postelemental adjective
- preelemental adjective
- subelemental adjective
- subelementally adverb
- transelemental adjective
- unelemental adjective
- unelementally adverb
Etymology
Origin of elemental
From the Medieval Latin word elementālis, dating back to 1485–95. See element, -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Back in Cirencester, Dr David O'Connor showed me a new kind of "elemental microscope" that can be used to identify traces of dangerous elements in soil.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
The exodus poses elemental questions for a country that has always prided itself as a destination.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
Voting is the most elemental of democratic exercises, a virtuous act residing right up there alongside motherhood and apple pie.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026
No, it was something a little more elemental.
From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026
Whenever he saw the sea, or a fire, he fell silent, impressed by their elemental force.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
