Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fundamental

/ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.33 in modern English

Syllables: fun-da-men-tal
IPA: /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/

17

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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.

noun

A collection of essential component ideas that are often grouped together to serve as the foundational basis of a complex idea.

noun

The lowest frequency of a periodic waveform.

noun

The lowest partial of a complex tone.

adj

Related to a foundation, base, or basis; serving as a foundation.

adj

Essential; extremely important.

Example Sentences

"Personal leadership is a fundamental of successful government."
"one of the fundamentals of linear algebra"
"When any one offers me a compleat Catalogue of his Fundamentals, he does not unreaſonably demand me to quit mine for nothing[…]"
"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."
"a fundamental truth; a fundamental axiom; a fundamental element; fundamental principle; fundamental law"
"A need for belonging seems fundamental to humans."

Etymology

From Middle English foundamental, fundamental, from Late Latin fundāmentālis, from Latin fundāmentum (“foundation”), from fundō (“to lay the foundation (of something), to found”), from fundus (“bottom”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn. By surface analysis, fundament + -al.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: foundamental,fundamental, fundāmentālis, fundāmentum, *bʰudʰmḗn

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/
British English: /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/

Inflected Forms

fundamentals (plural) more fundamental (comparative) most fundamental (superlative)

Derived Forms

antifundamental bifundamental fundamentalism fundamentalist fundamentalistic fundamentality fundamentally fundamentalness nonfundamental prefundamental unfundamental

Phrases

algebraic fundamental group first fundamental form fundamental analysis fundamental constant fundamental data fundamental force fundamental frequency fundamental group

Frequently Paired Words

fundament

Synonyms

elementary underlying groundlaying cardinal central key primal rudimentary

Rhymes With

mental environmental experimental gentle dental rental continental instrumental non-governmental accidental parental developmental

Questions

How do you pronounce fundamental?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/.
What does fundamental mean?: 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.
Where does fundamental come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce fundamental

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “fundamental”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “fundamental”.
Repeat and practice — Say “fundamental” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.