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 === IPA(key): /ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəl/ Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal === Noun === fundamental (plural fundamentals) (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. (generic, plural) A collection of essential component ideas that are often grouped together to serve as the foundational basis of a complex idea. (physics) The lowest frequency of a periodic waveform. (music) The lowest partial of a complex tone. ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === fundamental (comparative more fundamental, superlative most fundamental) Related to a foundation, base, or basis; serving as a foundation. Essential; extremely important. Synonym: elementary a fundamental truth; a fundamental axiom; a fundamental element; fundamental principle; fundamental law ==== Synonyms ==== groundlaying See also Thesaurus:bare-bones ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === 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] === Adjective === fundamental basic, fundamental ==== Inflection ==== ==== 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) 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 === Adjective === fundamental (strong nominative masculine singular fundamentaler, comparative fundamentaler, superlative am fundamentalsten) fundamental Synonym: grundlegend ==== Declension ==== ==== 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) 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) 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) fundamental, basic ==== Related terms ==== fundament === References === “fundamental” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Portuguese == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin fundāmentālis. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal === Adjective === fundamental m or f (plural fundamentais) 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) fundamental ==== Declension ==== ==== Related terms ==== === 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) fundamental ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === 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) fundamental ==== Declension ==== === References === fundamental in Svensk ordbok (SO) fundamental in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL) fundamental in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)