fundamental

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Late Latin fundamentālis, from Latin fundamentum (foundation), from fundō (to lay the foundation (of something), to found), from fundus (bottom), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəl/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Noun[edit]

fundamental (plural fundamentals)

  1. (usually in the plural) A main or major principle, rule, law, etc. which serves as the foundation or basis of a system; an essential part
    one of the fundamentals of linear algebra
    • 1722, John Locke, The Works of John Locke ...: With Alphabetical Tables ..., page 572:
      When any one offers me a compleat Catalogue of his Fundamentals, he does not unreaſonably demand me to quit mine for nothing []
    • 1928, Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Happy Warrior Alfred E. Smith[1], Houghton Mifflin, →OCLC, →OL, page 28:
      Personal leadership is a fundamental of successful government.
  2. (physics) The lowest frequency of a periodic waveform.
  3. (music) The lowest partial of a complex tone.

Translations[edit]

Adjective[edit]

fundamental (comparative more fundamental, superlative most fundamental)

  1. Related to a foundation, base, or basis; serving as a foundation.
  2. Essential; extremely important.
    Synonym: elementary
    a fundamental truth;   a fundamental axiom;   a fundamental element;   fundamental principle;   fundamental law
    A need for belonging seems fundamental to humans.
    • 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
      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.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Danish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From fundament +‎ -al.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /fɔndaməntaːl/, [fɔnd̥amənˈtˢæːˀl]
  • (file)

Adjective[edit]

fundamental

  1. basic, fundamental

Inflection[edit]

Inflection of fundamental
Positive Comparative Superlative
Indefinte common singular fundamental 2
Indefinite neuter singular fundamentalt 2
Plural fundamentale 2
Definite attributive1 fundamentale
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Galician[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin fundāmentālis.

Pronunciation[edit]

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Adjective[edit]

fundamental m or f (plural fundamentais)

  1. fundamental

Further reading[edit]

German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin fundāmentālis. By surface analysis, Fundament +‎ -al.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /fʊndamɛnˈtaːl/
  • Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal
  • (file)

Adjective[edit]

fundamental (strong nominative masculine singular fundamentaler, comparative fundamentaler, superlative am fundamentalsten)

  1. fundamental
    Synonym: grundlegend

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

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Further reading[edit]

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin fundamentalis.

Adjective[edit]

fundamental (masculine and feminine fundamental, neuter fundamentalt, definite singular and plural fundamentale)

  1. fundamental, basic

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin fundamentalis.

Adjective[edit]

fundamental (neuter fundamentalt, definite singular and plural fundamentale)

  1. fundamental, basic

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

Portuguese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin fundāmentālis.

Pronunciation[edit]

 
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtal/ [fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtaɫ]
    • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /fũ.dɐ.mẽˈta.li/

  • Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective[edit]

fundamental m or f (plural fundamentais)

  1. fundamental; essential (pertaining to the basic part or notion of something)
    Synonyms: essencial, básico

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French fondamental, from Latin fundamentalis. Equivalent to fundament +‎ -al.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

fundamental m or n (feminine singular fundamentală, masculine plural fundamentali, feminine and neuter plural fundamentale)

  1. fundamental

Declension[edit]

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin fundāmentālis.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /fundamenˈtal/ [fũn̪.d̪a.mẽn̪ˈt̪al]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective[edit]

fundamental m or f (masculine and feminine plural fundamentales)

  1. fundamental

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Swedish[edit]

Adjective[edit]

fundamental (not comparable)

  1. fundamental

Declension[edit]

Inflection of fundamental
Indefinite Positive Comparative Superlative2
Common singular fundamental mer fundamental mest fundamental
Neuter singular fundamentalt mer fundamentalt mest fundamentalt
Plural fundamentala mer fundamentala mest fundamentala
Masculine plural3 fundamentale mer fundamentala mest fundamentala
Definite Positive Comparative Superlative
Masculine singular1 fundamentale mer fundamentale mest fundamentale
All fundamentala mer fundamentala mest fundamentala
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.
2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
3) Dated or archaic

References[edit]