Word Study
fundamental
CIDE DICTIONARY
fundamental, a. [Cf. F. fondamental.].
Pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation. [1913 Webster]
"The fundamental reasons of this war." [1913 Webster]
"Some fundamental antithesis in nature." [1913 Webster]
fundamental, n.
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. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
fundamental, adj. & n.
--adj. of, affecting, or serving as a base or foundation, essential, primary, original (a fundamental change; the fundamental rules; the fundamental form).
--n.
1 (usu. in pl.) a fundamental rule, principle, or article.
2 Mus. a fundamental note or tone.
--adj. of, affecting, or serving as a base or foundation, essential, primary, original (a fundamental change; the fundamental rules; the fundamental form).
--n.
1 (usu. in pl.) a fundamental rule, principle, or article.
2 Mus. a fundamental note or tone.
Idiom
fundamental note Mus. the lowest note of a chord in its original (uninverted) form. fundamental particle an elementary particle. fundamental tone Mus. the tone produced by vibration of the whole of a sonorous body (opp. HARMONIC).
Derivative
fundamentality n. fundamentally adv.
Etymology
ME f. F fondamental or LL fundamentalis (as FUNDAMENT)
THESAURUS
fundamental
AF, ab ovo, abecedarian, aboriginal, antenatal, audio frequency, austere, autochthonous, axiom, bare, basal, base, basement, basic, basilar, basis, bearing wall, bed, bedding, bedrock, beginning, bench mark, bottom, budding, cardinal, cardinal point, center, central, chaste, chief thing, climax, component, constituent, constitutional, constitutive, core, cornerstone, creative, crisis, critical, critical point, crucial, crux, dominant, element, elemental, elementary, elements, elixir, embryonic, essence, essential, essential matter, factor, fetal, first, floor, flooring, flower, focal, focus, fond, footing, formative, foundation, foundational, frequency, fundament, fundamental tone, generative, genetic, germinal, gestatory, gist, grammar, gravamen, great point, ground, grounds, groundwork, gut, hardpan, harmonic, heart, high point, homely, homespun, homogeneous, hypostasis, important, important thing, in embryo, in its infancy, in ovo, in the bud, inaugural, inceptive, inchoate, inchoative, incipient, incunabular, indispensable, indivisible, infant, infantile, inherent, initial, initiative, initiatory, inner essence, intonation, intrinsic, introductory, inventive, irreducible, issue, kernel, keystone, landmark, law, life-and-death, life-or-death, main, main point, main thing, marrow, material, material point, meat, mere, milestone, monolithic, monotone, monotony, nascent, natal, necessary, needful, nub, nucleus, nuts and bolts, of a piece, of the essence, of vital importance, organic, original, overtone, paramount, part and parcel, partial, partial tone, parturient, pavement, pitch, pith, pivot, plain, postnatal, postulate, pregnant, prenatal, primal, primary, prime, primeval, primitive, primogenial, primordial, principal, principium, principle, principles, pristine, procreative, protogenic, pure, pure and simple, quid, quiddity, quintessence, quintessential, radical, real issue, requisite, riprap, rock bottom, rudiment, rudimental, rudimentary, rudiments, rule, salient point, sap, seat, seminal, severe, sill, simon-pure, simple, sine qua non, single, solid ground, solid rock, soul, spare, spirit, stark, stereobate, stuff, stylobate, substance, substantial, substantive, substantive point, substratum, substruction, substructure, terra firma, the bottom line, the nitty-gritty, the point, theorem, tone, tonelessness, turning point, unadorned, uncluttered, underbuilding, undercarriage, undergirding, underlying, underpinning, understruction, understructure, undifferenced, undifferentiated, uniform, ur, vitalROGET THESAURUS
fundamental
Intrinsicality
N intrinsicality, inbeing, inherence, inhesion, subjectiveness, ego, egohood, essence, noumenon, essentialness, essential part, quintessence, incarnation, quiddity, gist, pith, marrow, core, sap, lifeblood, backbone, heart, soul, important part, principle, nature, constitution, character, type, quality, crasis, diathesis, habit, temper, temperament, spirit, humor, grain, disposition, endowment, capacity, capability, moods, declensions, features, aspects, peculiarities, idiosyncrasy, oddity, idiocrasy, diagnostics, derived from within, subjective, intrinsic, intrinsical, fundamental, normal, implanted, inherent, essential, natural, innate, inborn, inbred, ingrained, inwrought, coeval with birth, genetous, haematobious, syngenic, radical, incarnate, thoroughbred, hereditary, inherited, immanent, congenital, congenite, connate, running in the blood, ingenerate, ingenite, indigenous, in the grain, bred in the bone, instinctive, inward, internal, to the manner born, virtual, characteristic, invariable, incurable, incorrigible, ineradicable, fixed, intrinsically, at bottom, in the main, in effect, practically, virtually, substantially, au fond, fairly, character is higher than intellect, come give us a taste of your quality, magnos homines virtute metimur non fortuna, non numero haec judicantur sed pondere, vital spark of heavenly flame.Base
N base, basement, plinth, dado, wainscot, baseboard, mopboard, bedrock, hardpan, foundation, substructure, substratum, ground, earth, pavement, floor, paving, flag, carped, ground floor, deck, footing, ground work, basis, hold, bilge, bottom, nadir, foot, sole, toe, hoof, keel, root, centerboard, bottom, undermost, nethermost, fundamental, founded on, based on, grounded on, built on.Support
N support, ground, foundation, base, basis, terra firma, bearing, fulcrum, bait, caudex crib, point d'appui, pou sto, purchase footing, hold, locus standi, landing place, landing stage, stage, platform, block, rest, resting place, groundwork, substratum, riprap, sustentation, subvention, floor, supporter, aid, prop, stand, anvil, fulciment, cue rest, jigger, monkey, stay, shore, skid, rib, truss, bandage, sleeper, stirrup, stilts, shoe, sole, heel, splint, lap, bar, rod, boom, sprit, outrigger, ratlings, staff, stick, crutch, alpenstock, baton, staddle, bourdon, cowlstaff, lathi, mahlstick, post, pillar, shaft, thill, column, pilaster, pediment, pedicle, pedestal, plinth, shank, leg, socle, zocle, buttress, jamb, mullion, abutment, baluster, banister, stanchion, balustrade, headstone, upright, door post, jamb, door jamb, frame, framework, scaffold, skeleton, beam, rafter, girder, lintel, joist, travis, trave, corner stone, summer, transom, rung, round, step, sill, angle rafter, hip rafter, cantilever, modillion, crown post, king post, vertebra, columella, backbone, keystone, axle, axletree, axis, arch, mainstay, trunnion, pivot, rowlock, peg, tiebeam, thole pin, board, ledge, shelf, hob, bracket, trevet, trivet, arbor, rack, mantel, mantle piece, mantleshelf, slab, console, counter, dresser, flange, corbel, table, trestle, shoulder, perch, horse, easel, desk, clotheshorse, hatrack, retable, teapoy, seat, throne, dais, divan, musnud, chair, bench, form, stool, sofa, settee, stall, arm chair, easy chair, elbow chair, rocking chair, couch, fauteuil, woolsack, ottoman, settle, squab, bench, aparejo, faldstool, horn, long chair, long sleeve chair, morris chair, lamba chauki, lamba kursi, saddle, pannel, pillion, side saddle, pack saddle, pommel, bed, berth, pallet, tester, crib, cot, hammock, shakedown, trucklebed, cradle, litter, stretcher, bedstead, four poster, French bed, bunk, kip, palang, bedding, bichhona, mattress, paillasse, pillow, bolster, mat, rug, cushion, footstool, hassock, tabouret, tripod, monopod, Atlas, Persides, Atlantes, Caryatides, Hercules, supporting, supported, fundamental, dorsigerous, astride on, straddle.For further exploring for "fundamental" in Webster Dictionary Online