fundamental

English

Etymology

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

• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/, [fʌn.dəˈmɛn.tɫ̩]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˌfɐn.dəˈmɛn.təl/, [fɐn.dəˈmɛn.tɫ̩]
• Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Noun

fundamental (plural fundamentals)

1. (generic, singular) 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.
2. (generic, plural) A 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

   • 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.

3. (physics) The lowest frequency of a periodic waveform.
4. (music) The lowest partial of a complex tone.

Translations

a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article

• Armenian: հիմունք (hy) (himunkʻ)
• Bulgarian: при́нцип (bg) m (príncip), осно́ва (bg) f (osnóva)
• Catalan: fonamental (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 基本 (zh) (jīběn)

• Czech: zásadní (cs)
• Finnish: fundamentti (fi), perusta (fi), peruskivi (fi), perusteet (fi) pl
• French: fondement (fr)
• Galician: fundamento (gl) m
• Georgian: საფუძველი (sapuʒveli), ძირითადი წესი (ʒiritadi c̣esi)
• German: Grundlage (de) f
• Greek: θεμέλιο (el) n (themélio)
• Italian: fondamento (it) m
• Japanese: 基本 (ja) (きほん, kihon)
• Kazakh: негіз (kk) (negız)
• Korean: 기본 (ko) (gibon)
• Māori: tūāpapa
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari: тӱҥ (tüŋ)

• Navajo: áʼádaatʼéhígíí
• Norwegian: fundamental (no)

  Bokmål: grunnleggende (no)

• Portuguese: fundamento (pt) m
• Romanian: fundament (ro) n
• Russian: осно́вы (ru) f pl (osnóvy), при́нцип (ru) m (príncip)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Latin: ȍsnova (sh) f, tèmelj (sh) m

• Ukrainian: при́нцип (uk) m (prýncyp), осно́ва f (osnóva)

Adjective

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

• groundlaying
• See also Thesaurus:bare-bones

Derived terms

• algebraic fundamental group
• antifundamental
• bifundamental
• first fundamental form
• fundamental analysis
• fundamental constant
• fundamental data
• fundamental force
• fundamental frequency
• fundamental group
• fundamental interaction
• fundamentalism
• fundamentalist
• fundamentalistic
• fundamentality
• fundamentally
• fundamentalness
• fundamental niche
• fundamental painting
• fundamental particle
• fundamental right
• fundamental science
• fundamental theorem
• fundamental theorem of arithmetic
• fundamental theorem of calculus
• fundamental theorem of calculus for line integrals
• fundamental unit
• nonfundamental
• prefundamental
• unfundamental

Related terms

• fundament

Translations

pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation

• Arabic: أَسَاسِيّ (ar) (ʔasāsiyy)
• Azerbaijani: əsas (az), fundamental (az), əsaslı
• Belarusian: асно́ўны (be) (asnówny), фундамента́льны (fundamjentálʹny), падставо́вы (padstavóvy)
• Bengali: মৌলিক (bn) (mōulik)
• Bulgarian: фундамента́лен (bg) (fundamentálen), осно́вен (bg) (osnóven)
• Catalan: fonamental (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 基本 (gei¹ bun²)

  Mandarin: 基本 (zh) (jīběn)

• Czech: základní (cs), podstatný (cs)
• Danish: fundamental, grundlæggende (da)
• Dutch: fundamenteel (nl)
• Esperanto: fundamenta
• Estonian: põhi-
• Finnish: perustavanlaatuinen (fi), olennainen (fi), fundamentaalinen (fi), perus- (fi)
• French: fondamental (fr)
• Galician: fundamental (gl)
• Georgian: ფუძემდებელი (puʒemdebeli), ფუნდამენტალური (pundamenṭaluri), ფუნდამენტური (pundamenṭuri), არსებითი (ka) (arsebiti), ძირითადი (ʒiritadi)
• German: grundlegend (de), fundamental (de), grundsätzlich (de)
• Greek: θεμελιώδης (el) m or f (themeliódis)
• Hungarian: alapvető (hu)
• Ingrian: osnovnoi
• Italian: fondamentale (it)
• Japanese: 基本的な (きほんてきな, kihonteki na)
• Kazakh: іргелі (ırgelı), негізгі (negızgı)
• Korean: 기본적 (ko) (gibonjeok)
• Latvian: fundamentāls
• Malayalam: അടിസ്ഥാന (aṭisthāna), മൗലിക (ml) (maulika)
• Maltese: fundamentali, fondamentali
• Māori: whakapū
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: fundamental (no), grunnleggende (no)

  Nynorsk: fundamental

• Persian: بنیادی (fa) (bonyâdi), اساسی (fa) (asâsi)
• Polish: podstawowy (pl), fundamentalny (pl)
• Portuguese: fundamental (pt)
• Quechua: tiksi (qu)
• Romanian: fundamental (ro), de bază
• Russian: основно́й (ru) (osnovnój), основополага́ющий (ru) (osnovopolagájuščij), фундамента́льный (ru) (fundamentálʹnyj), суще́ственный (ru) (suščéstvennyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: fȕndamentālan (sh), ȍsnovān (sh), tȅmēljnī (sh)
• Spanish: fundamental (es)
• Swedish: grundläggande (sv), fundamental (sv)
• Tagalog: batayan
• Tajik: бунёдӣ (tg) (bunyodi), асосӣ (asosi)
• Thai: พื้นฐาน (th) (pʉ́ʉn-tǎan), เบื้องต้น (th) (bʉ̂ʉang-dtôn)
• Turkish: esas (tr), temel (tr), ana (tr)
• Ukrainian: основни́й (osnovnýj), фундамента́льний (fundamentálʹnyj), підставо́вий (pidstavóvyj)

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “fundamental”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Danish

Etymology

From fundament +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

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

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

fundamental

1. basic, fundamental

Inflection

Inflection of fundamental

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite 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

• afgørende
• basal
• grundliggende, grundlæggende

Derived terms

• fundamentalisme
• fundamentalist

Galician

Etymology

From Latin fundāmentālis. By surface analysis, fundamento +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fundamenˈtal/ [fun̪.d̪a.mẽn̪ˈt̪ɑɫ]
• IPA^(key): /fundamɛnˈtal/ [fun̪.d̪a.mɛ̃n̪ˈt̪ɑɫ]
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective

fundamental m or f (plural fundamentais)

1. fundamental

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

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

1. fundamental

   Synonym: grundlegend

Declension

Positive forms of fundamental

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist fundamental	sie ist fundamental	es ist fundamental	sie sind fundamental
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fundamentaler	fundamentale	fundamentales	fundamentale
	genitive	fundamentalen	fundamentaler	fundamentalen	fundamentaler
	dative	fundamentalem	fundamentaler	fundamentalem	fundamentalen
	accusative	fundamentalen	fundamentale	fundamentales	fundamentale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fundamentale	die fundamentale	das fundamentale	die fundamentalen
	genitive	des fundamentalen	der fundamentalen	des fundamentalen	der fundamentalen
	dative	dem fundamentalen	der fundamentalen	dem fundamentalen	den fundamentalen
	accusative	den fundamentalen	die fundamentale	das fundamentale	die fundamentalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fundamentaler	eine fundamentale	ein fundamentales	(keine) fundamentalen
	genitive	eines fundamentalen	einer fundamentalen	eines fundamentalen	(keiner) fundamentalen
	dative	einem fundamentalen	einer fundamentalen	einem fundamentalen	(keinen) fundamentalen
	accusative	einen fundamentalen	eine fundamentale	ein fundamentales	(keine) fundamentalen

Comparative forms of fundamental

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist fundamentaler	sie ist fundamentaler	es ist fundamentaler	sie sind fundamentaler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fundamentalerer	fundamentalere	fundamentaleres	fundamentalere
	genitive	fundamentaleren	fundamentalerer	fundamentaleren	fundamentalerer
	dative	fundamentalerem	fundamentalerer	fundamentalerem	fundamentaleren
	accusative	fundamentaleren	fundamentalere	fundamentaleres	fundamentalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fundamentalere	die fundamentalere	das fundamentalere	die fundamentaleren
	genitive	des fundamentaleren	der fundamentaleren	des fundamentaleren	der fundamentaleren
	dative	dem fundamentaleren	der fundamentaleren	dem fundamentaleren	den fundamentaleren
	accusative	den fundamentaleren	die fundamentalere	das fundamentalere	die fundamentaleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fundamentalerer	eine fundamentalere	ein fundamentaleres	(keine) fundamentaleren
	genitive	eines fundamentaleren	einer fundamentaleren	eines fundamentaleren	(keiner) fundamentaleren
	dative	einem fundamentaleren	einer fundamentaleren	einem fundamentaleren	(keinen) fundamentaleren
	accusative	einen fundamentaleren	eine fundamentalere	ein fundamentaleres	(keine) fundamentaleren

Superlative forms of fundamental

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am fundamentalsten	sie ist am fundamentalsten	es ist am fundamentalsten	sie sind am fundamentalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	fundamentalster	fundamentalste	fundamentalstes	fundamentalste
	genitive	fundamentalsten	fundamentalster	fundamentalsten	fundamentalster
	dative	fundamentalstem	fundamentalster	fundamentalstem	fundamentalsten
	accusative	fundamentalsten	fundamentalste	fundamentalstes	fundamentalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fundamentalste	die fundamentalste	das fundamentalste	die fundamentalsten
	genitive	des fundamentalsten	der fundamentalsten	des fundamentalsten	der fundamentalsten
	dative	dem fundamentalsten	der fundamentalsten	dem fundamentalsten	den fundamentalsten
	accusative	den fundamentalsten	die fundamentalste	das fundamentalste	die fundamentalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein fundamentalster	eine fundamentalste	ein fundamentalstes	(keine) fundamentalsten
	genitive	eines fundamentalsten	einer fundamentalsten	eines fundamentalsten	(keiner) fundamentalsten
	dative	einem fundamentalsten	einer fundamentalsten	einem fundamentalsten	(keinen) fundamentalsten
	accusative	einen fundamentalsten	eine fundamentalste	ein fundamentalstes	(keine) fundamentalsten

Derived terms

• Fundamentalismus, Fundamentalist

Related terms

• Fundamentalerkenntnis, Fundamentalentscheidung, Fundamentalgesetz, Fundamentalsatz

Further reading

• “fundamental” in Duden online
• “fundamental” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from English fundamental, 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

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /fundaˈmental/ [fun.daˈmen̪.t̪al]
• Rhymes: -ental
• Syllabification: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective

fundamental (comparative lebih fundamental, superlative paling fundamental)

1. fundamental

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin fundamentalis.

Adjective

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

1. fundamental, basic

Related terms

• fundament

References

• “fundamental” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “fundamental” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin fundamentalis.

Adjective

fundamental (neuter fundamentalt, definite singular and plural fundamentale)

1. fundamental, basic

Related terms

• fundament

References

• “fundamental” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fundāmentālis.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /fũ.da.mẽˈtaw/ [fũ.da.mẽˈtaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtal/ [fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtaɫ]

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

• Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective

fundamental m or f (plural fundamentais)

1. fundamental; essential (pertaining to the basic part or notion of something)

   Synonyms: essencial, básico

Derived terms

• fundamentalismo
• fundamentalista
• fundamentalmente

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “fundamental”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “fundamental”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌfun.da.menˈtal/

Adjective

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

1. fundamental

Declension

Declension of fundamental

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	fundamental		fundamentală		fundamentali	fundamentale
	definite	fundamentalul		fundamentala		fundamentalii	fundamentalele
genitive- dative	indefinite	fundamental		fundamentale		fundamentali	fundamentale
	definite	fundamentalului		fundamentalei		fundamentalilor	fundamentalelor

Related terms

• fundament
• fundamenta
• fundamentabil
• fundamentare
• fundamentat

References

• “fundamental”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2026

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin fundāmentālis.

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

fundamental m or f (masculine and feminine plural fundamentales)

1. fundamental

Derived terms

• derecho fundamental
• fundamentalismo
• fundamentalista
• fundamentalmente
• interacción fundamental
• teorema fundamental

Related terms

• fundamentar
• fundamento
• fundar

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Adjective

fundamental (not comparable)

1. fundamental

Declension

Inflection of fundamental

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	fundamental	—	—
neuter singular	fundamentalt	—	—
plural	fundamentala	—	—
masculine plural2	fundamentale	—	—
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	fundamentale	—	—
all	fundamentala	—	—

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

References

• fundamental in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• fundamental in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• fundamental in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)