The fundamental meaning of the word

Other forms: fundamentals

When asked what the fundamental, or essential, principles of life are, a teenager might reply, «Breathe. Be a good friend. Eat chocolate. Get gas money.»

Fundamental has its roots in the Latin word fundamentum, which means «foundation.» So if something is fundamental, it is a key point or underlying issue — the foundation, if you will — that the thing is built upon. Teachers argue that math fundamentals include memorizing the times tables and understanding long division. Many people would also argue that math fundamentals should include knowing how to use a calculator and knowing where the calculator’s extra batteries are kept.

Definitions of fundamental

  1. adjective

    serving as an essential component

    “an example that was
    fundamental to the argument”

    “computers are
    fundamental to modern industrial structure”

    synonyms:

    cardinal, central, key, primal

    important, of import

    of great significance or value

  2. adjective

    being or involving basic facts or principles

    “the
    fundamental laws of the universe”

    “a
    fundamental incompatibility between them”

    synonyms:

    foundational, rudimentary, underlying

    basic

    pertaining to or constituting a base or basis

  3. adjective

    far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something

    “the
    fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred”

    “the book underwent
    fundamental changes”

    “committed the
    fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance”

    synonyms:

    profound

    important, significant

    important in effect or meaning

  4. noun

    any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business

    fundamentals include a company’s growth, revenues, earnings, management, and capital structure”

  5. noun

    the lowest tone of a harmonic series

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘fundamental’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Meaning fundamental

What does fundamental mean? Here you find 18 meanings of the word fundamental. You can also add a definition of fundamental yourself

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mid-15c., «primary, original, pertaining to a foundation,» modeled on Late Latin fundamentalis «of the foundation,» from Latin fundamentum «foundation» (see fundament). I [..]

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fundamental

basic or primary.

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fundamental

any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business; "fundamentals include a company's growth, revenues, earnings, management, and capi [..]

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fundamental

adj. Basal.

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fundamental

Of a periodic wave, the sinusoidal component, i.e., Fourier component, having the lowest frequency. Note: Every periodic waveform may be expressed as the summation of the fundamental and its harmonics. For example, a square wave may be expressed as the summation of sine waves equal in frequency to the fundamental and all odd harmonics, each frequen [..]

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fundamental

fundamental (pop)

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fundamental

  1. A base pitch from which a series of harmonics is produced.  2. The base  pitch upon which a chord is built.

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fundamental

The predominant frequency of an auditory tone or a visual scene. Compare harmonic. See Box 9.1.

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fundamental

A quantity used to relate a stock price with the underlying company’s financial strength, performance, or growth potential. A few popular ones, listed by what they measure: Assets

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fundamental

The lowest frequency produced by a musical tone source. That harmonic component of a wave which has the lowest frequency.

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fundamental

A leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article, which serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part, as, the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

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fundamental

Fundamental means the foundation or base. The word “fundamental” is applied to those laws and rights which have more significance and importance in the foundation of the society. Those laws by whi [..]

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fundamental

(n) any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business(n) the lowest tone of a harmonic series(adj) serving as an essential component(adj) being or involvi [..]

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fundamental

[0] 1. the lowest frequency

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fundamental

The basic pitch of a tone.

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fundamental

The component of a periodic wave that has the lowest frequency. It is also called the first-order harmonic.

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fundamental

Of a periodic wave, the sinusoidal component, i.e., Fourier component, having the lowest frequency.

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fundamental

A leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article, which serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part, as, the fundamentals of linear algebra.

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  • Defenition of the word fundamental

    • Involving basic facts or principles.
    • serving as an essential component; «a cardinal rule»; «the central cause of the problem»; «an example that was fundamental to the argument»; «computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure»
    • the lowest tone of a harmonic series
    • far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something; «the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred»; «the book underwent fundamental changes»; «committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance»; «profound social changes»
    • being or involving basic facts or principles; «the fundamental laws of the universe»; «a fundamental incompatibility between them»; «these rudimentary truths»; «underlying principles»
    • far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something; «the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred»; «the book underwent fundamental changes»; «committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravaga
    • any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business
    • serving as an essential component
    • being or involving basic facts or principles
    • far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something

Synonyms for the word fundamental

    • basic
    • cardinal
    • central
    • deep
    • deep-seated
    • elemental
    • elementary
    • essential
    • first harmonic
    • fundamental frequency
    • important
    • key
    • major
    • necessary
    • original
    • primal
    • primary
    • profound
    • rudimentary
    • supporting
    • ultimate
    • underlying
    • vital

Similar words in the fundamental

    • basic
    • fundamental
    • fundamentalism
    • fundamentalism’s
    • fundamentalists
    • fundamentally
    • fundamentals
    • important
    • of import
    • significant

Hypernyms for the word fundamental

    • factor
    • harmonic

See other words

    • What is summation
    • The definition of summing up
    • The interpretation of the word instantaneous
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    • The lexical meaning fundamentalism
    • The dictionary meaning of the word backaches
    • The grammatical meaning of the word smooths
    • Meaning of the word smoothed
    • Literal and figurative meaning of the word smoothest
    • The origin of the word amounted
    • Synonym for the word amounts
    • Antonyms for the word watercourse
    • Homonyms for the word streaming
    • Hyponyms for the word streamlined
    • Holonyms for the word streamline
    • Hypernyms for the word subsidize
    • Proverbs and sayings for the word streamlines
    • Translation of the word in other languages streamed

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Whether it’s people walking off ‘The View’ when Bill O’Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his opinion, over-reaching political correctness is chipping away at the fundamental American freedoms of speech and expression.

Eric Cantor

section

PRONUNCIATION OF FUNDAMENTAL

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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF FUNDAMENTAL

Fundamental can act as a noun and an adjective.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

WHAT DOES FUNDAMENTAL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Fundamental

Fundamental may refer to: ▪ Foundation of reality ▪ Fundamental frequency, as in music or phonetics, often referred to as simply a «fundamental» ▪ Fundamentalism, the belief in, and usually the strict adherence to, the simplistic or «fundamental» ideas based on faith of a system of thought ▪ The Fundamentals, a set of books important to Christian fundamentalism ▪ Any of a number of fundamental theorems identified in mathematics, such as: ▪ The fundamental theorem of algebra, awe theorem regarding the factorization of polynomials ▪ The fundamental theorem of arithmetic, a theorem regarding prime factorization ▪ Fundamental analysis, a method that uses financial and economic analysis to predict the movement of security prices such as bond prices, but more commonly stock prices…


Definition of fundamental in the English dictionary

The first definition of fundamental in the dictionary is of, involving, or comprising a foundation; basic. Other definition of fundamental is of, involving, or comprising a source; primary. Fundamental is also denoting or relating to the principal or lowest note of a harmonic series.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH FUNDAMENTAL

Synonyms and antonyms of fundamental in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS OF «FUNDAMENTAL»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «fundamental» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «fundamental» into 25 languages

online translator

TRANSLATION OF FUNDAMENTAL

Find out the translation of fundamental to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of fundamental from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «fundamental» in English.

Translator English — Chinese


主要的

1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English — Spanish


fundamental

570 millions of speakers

Translator English — Hindi


मौलिक

380 millions of speakers

Translator English — Arabic


أساسي

280 millions of speakers

Translator English — Russian


фундаментальное

278 millions of speakers

Translator English — Portuguese


fundamental

270 millions of speakers

Translator English — Bengali


মৌলিক

260 millions of speakers

Translator English — French


fondamental

220 millions of speakers

Translator English — Malay


Asas

190 millions of speakers

Translator English — German


fundamental

180 millions of speakers

Translator English — Japanese


根本的な

130 millions of speakers

Translator English — Korean


근본적인

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Javanese


Dhasar

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Vietnamese


cơ bản

80 millions of speakers

Translator English — Tamil


அடிப்படை

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Marathi


मूलभूत

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Turkish


temel

70 millions of speakers

Translator English — Italian


fondamentale

65 millions of speakers

Translator English — Polish


podstawowym

50 millions of speakers

Translator English — Ukrainian


фундаментальне

40 millions of speakers

Translator English — Romanian


fundamental

30 millions of speakers

Translator English — Greek


θεμελιώδεις

15 millions of speakers

Translator English — Afrikaans


fundamentele

14 millions of speakers

Translator English — Swedish


grundläggande

10 millions of speakers

Translator English — Norwegian


fundamental

5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of fundamental

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «FUNDAMENTAL»

The term «fundamental» is very widely used and occupies the 5.515 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Trends

FREQUENCY

Very widely used

The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «fundamental» in the different countries.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of fundamental

List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «fundamental».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «FUNDAMENTAL» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «fundamental» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «fundamental» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about fundamental

10 QUOTES WITH «FUNDAMENTAL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word fundamental.

I am very excited to be supporting one of the world’s most visionary efforts to seek basic answers to some of the fundamental question about our universe and what other civilisations may exist elsewhere.

The Christian response is contained in these two fundamental dogmas: that of the Trinity and that of the Incarnation. In the trinitarian dogma God is one, good, true, and beautiful because he is essentially Love, and Love supposes the one, the other, and their unity.

It’s important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it’s just as important for the U.S. never to renounce the most fundamental American values, which, after all, are also universal values.

It seemed to be inadmissible to give in on such a fundamental point. This would have meant that any one who would have wanted to be a terrorist could gain eventually their freedom thanks to another kidnapping.

The fundamental problem with program maintenance is that fixing a defect has a substantial chance of introducing another.

Opposites attract, and I think temperament is so fundamental that you end up craving someone of the opposite temperament to complete you.

Whether it’s people walking off ‘The View’ when Bill O’Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his opinion, over-reaching political correctness is chipping away at the fundamental American freedoms of speech and expression.

There is an underlying, fundamental reliance on the Internet, which continues to grow in the number of users, country penetration and both fixed and wireless broadband access.

We need to question technology to insure that markets continue to perform their fundamental purposes.

A little reflection will show us that every belief, even the simplest and most fundamental, goes beyond experience when regarded as a guide to our actions.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «FUNDAMENTAL»

Discover the use of fundamental in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to fundamental and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

1

Fundamental Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

2

Teaching Fundamental Gymnastics Skills

Safety tips for teaching gymnastics — Exploratory gymnastics — Foundational positions and movements — Floor exercise — Balance beam — Springboard and vault — Bars_

Debby Mitchell, Barbara Davis, Raim Lopez, 2002

While emphasizing both the astronomical concepts and the underlying physical principles, the text provides a sound basis for more profound studies in the astronomical sciences.

Hannu Karttunen, Pekka Kröger, Heikki Oja, 2007

4

Fundamental Neuroscience

New to this edition: * 30% new material including new chapters on Dendritic Development and Spine Morphogenesis, Chemical Senses, Cerebellum, Eye Movements, Circadian Timing, Sleep and Dreaming, and Consciousness * Companion website with …

5

Fundamental Analysis For Dummies

Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just want to learn how to make more intelligent and prudent investment decisions, this no-nonsense guide gives you practical tips, tricks, and secrets for using fundamental analysis to manage your …

6

Fundamental Chiropractic, a Textbook

1948 the fundamental technique, for reasons inherent in its underlying principles, can be used even by the novice. This is a reflex technique and may be done on yourself.

Now full-color throughout the book’s fully revised and updated content reflects the latest advances in the field. Current insights enhance readers’ understanding of immune system function.

The book is extensively illustrated throughout with clear and uncluttered diagrams that are simple enough to be reproduced by students. This unique textbook provides a compact alternative for introductory genetics courses.

9

The Fundamental Concepts of Metaphysics: World, Finitude, …

This work, the text of Martin Heidegger’s lecture course of 1929/30, is crucial for an understanding of Heidegger’s transition from the major work of his early years, Being and Time, to his later preoccupations with language, truth, and …

10

Monitoring Fundamental Rights in the EU: The Contribution of …

The Fundamental Rights Agency, in particular, has immense potential to ensure effective monitoring of fundamental rights in the EU, and to ensure a unified strategy for their promotion in EU law and policy.This volume is the first to …

Philip Alston, Olivier de Schutter, 2005

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «FUNDAMENTAL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term fundamental is used in the context of the following news items.

Industrial and Base Metals Weekly Fundamental Analysis – July 13 …

Fundamental analysis is provided in three components. We provide a detailed monthly analysis and forecast at the beginning of each month. «FX Empire, Jul 15»

EUR/GBP Weekly Fundamental Analysis – July 13-17, 2015 …

Fundamental analysis is provided in three components. We provide a detailed monthly analysis and forecast at the beginning of each month. «FX Empire, Jul 15»

Natural Gas Weekly Fundamental Analysis – July 13-17, 2015 …

Natural Gas closed out the week at 2.772 a bit higher than its low after weather forcasts turned a bit warmer and demand from Mexico … «FX Empire, Jul 15»

Precious Metals Weekly Fundamental Analysis – July 13-17, 2015 …

Fundamental analysis is provided in three components. We provide a detailed monthly analysis and forecast at the beginning of each month. «FX Empire, Jul 15»

EUR/USD Fundamental Analysis – July 13, 2015 – Forecast

Fundamental analysis is provided in three components. We provide a detailed monthly analysis and forecast at the beginning of each month. «FX Empire, Jul 15»

EUR/GBP Fundamental Analysis – July 13, 2015 – Forecast

Fundamental analysis is provided in three components. We provide a detailed monthly analysis and forecast at the beginning of each month. «FX Empire, Jul 15»

Crude & Brent Oil Fundamental Analysis – July 13, 2015 – Forecast

Fundamental analysis is provided in three components. We provide a detailed monthly analysis and forecast at the beginning of each month. «FX Empire, Jul 15»

What Do Fundamental Indicators Reveal?

… stocks in 2015. Now we’ll take a look at what fundamental drivers for each subindustry look like and whether a rebound is likely. «Market Realist, Jul 15»

Analysis: German spot power volatile on fundamental weather swing

German prompt power prices so far this week registered some of their heaviest volatility amid a sharp swing in the weather from record heat … «Platts, Jul 15»

USD/CAD Fundamental Analysis – July 13, 2015 – Forecast

Fundamental analysis is provided in three components. We provide a detailed monthly analysis and forecast at the beginning of each month. «FX Empire, Jul 15»

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Fundamental [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/fundamental>. Apr 2023 ».

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Discover all that is hidden in the words on educalingo

Adjective



The Constitution ensures our fundamental rights.



There’s a fundamental difference between these two political parties.



These ideas are of fundamental importance.



The revolution brought about a fundamental change in the country.



We need to make some fundamental changes in the way we do business.



We need to address these problems on a more fundamental level.

See More

Recent Examples on the Web



That assertion, however, merely skates over the fundamental cynicism of Paxton’s strategy.


Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023





The commission has said the law violates the EU’s internal market rules, the fundamental rights of individuals and EU values.


Reuters, NBC News, 7 Apr. 2023





There is a lot to explore starting with the current focus on fundamental technology and making that technology capable of doing what’s needed.


Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, 7 Apr. 2023





In a press conference on Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg characterized the validity of business records as fundamental to a well-functioning economy.


Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2023





Succession: An ecological obsession Milner first arrived in Glacier Bay in 1977 as a University of London graduate student in his mid-twenties, lured by a Time-Life book about the region and captivated by the opportunity to witness a fundamental ecological process in real time.


Lesley Evans Ogden, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2023





Many agree that Macron that has made some fundamental missteps.


Thomas Adamson, ajc, 6 Apr. 2023





Good fundamental coach, understands offense, defense, the kicking game.


Jim Mcbride, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023





Notably, what makes the language models vulnerable to these sorts of abuse is not just their wide-ranging smarts, but also their fundamental intellectual shortcomings.


Will Oremus, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023




Zandi says prices are simply too far detached from underlying fundamentals like incomes.


Lance Lambert, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2023





Commercial real estate is in trouble and while major US stock indexes are up this year, there’s underlying weakness in market fundamentals.


Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 6 Apr. 2023





These were hardly pleasing, as the Heard’s Dan Gallagher points out, but Wall Street had been anticipating a bad report, and the chipmaker said that industry fundamentals are improving.


Heard Editors, WSJ, 29 Mar. 2023





Here, where Pope Francis visited in 2016, the revelations of Vanier and L’Arche’s origins have hit longtime staffers hard, though there is no questioning of the fundamentals of the mission, said Loredana Moretti, a 35-year veteran of L’Arche’s Il Chicco community and now on its leadership team.


Nicole Winfield, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Mar. 2023





Many of the fundamentals of Finnish and Nordic design involve simplicity and our connection to nature.


David Nikel, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023





The Park District’s Junior Lifeguard Camp will teach students about first aid, rescue techniques, CPR, and rip current education in this lifeguard fundamentals program, according to the Park District’s website.


Corey Schmidt, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2023





Their mastering of the fundamentals comes from their father’s teachings over the years, instilling the important aspects while keeping the game fun.


Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2023





In the off-season, the Wildcats recommitted to the fundamentals, defense in particular.


Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2023



See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘fundamental.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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