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] (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˌfɐn.dəˈmen.təl/, [fɐn.dəˈmen.tɫ̩] 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. 1920, Frederick Soddy, Science and life: Aberdeen addresses, p. 159. Lecture to the Aberdeen University Christian Union, Marischal College, "Matter, Energy, Consciousness and Spirit" (Apr 25, 1919) Absolute or Ultimate Truth... may be for ever unattainable... the fundamentals of to-day... may in the fullness of time be displaced by still more fundamental conceptions. (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 Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “fundamental”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], 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[2] (in German) == 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 [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish) “fundamental”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) “fundamental”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)