adj

elemental

eh-luh-MEHN-tuhl

adj

Basic and fundamental, related to a core building block rather than something complex or refined.

"There was something elemental about the fear he felt in the storm."

"The song strips music back to its most elemental form: just voice and drum."

How to Use Elemental

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBasic, raw, or fundamental — often used for powerful natural forces or the simplest version of something.

Common pairings

elemental force elemental fear elemental power

elementals plural

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There was something _____ about the fear he felt in the storm.

From Medieval Latin elementālis, built from element plus the adjective suffix -al.

mental dental rental parental Oriental accidental ornamental judgmental incidental monumental regimental fundamental