adj

fundamental

fuhn-duh-MEHN-tuhl

adj

Forming the base or foundation of something; essential.

"Trust is fundamental to any relationship."

"They disagreed on a fundamental point of the plan."

noun

A basic principle or building-block idea.

"The coach drilled the fundamentals of passing every practice."

How to Use Fundamental

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething basic and essential — the foundation everything else is built on.

Common pairings

fundamental principle fundamental right back to fundamentals

more fundamental comparative, fundamentals plural, most fundamental superlative

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Trust is _____ to any relationship.

From Late Latin fundamentalis, from Latin fundamentum, "foundation," from fundus, "bottom."

groundlaying

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

groundlaying