View synonyms for elementary

elementary

[ el-uh-men-tuh-ree, -tree ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

pertaining to or dealing with elements, rudiments, or first principles:
an elementary grammar.
of or relating to an elementary school:
elementary teachers.
of the nature of an ultimate constituent; simple or uncompounded.
pertaining to the four elements, earth, water, air, and fire, or to the great forces of nature; elemental.
Chemistry. of or noting one or more elements.

elementary

/ ˌɛlɪˈmɛntərɪ; -trɪ /

adjective

not difficult; simple; rudimentary
of or concerned with the first principles of a subject; introductory or fundamental
maths (of a function) having the form of an algebraic, exponential, trigonometric, or a logarithmic function, or any combination of these
See elemental
chem another word for elemental

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Derived Forms

ˌeleˈmentariness, noun
ˌeleˈmentarily, adverb

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Other Words From

el·e·men·tar·i·ly [el-, uh, -men-, ter, -, uh, -lee], adverb
ele·menta·ri·ness noun
nonel·e·menta·ry adjective
postel·e·menta·ry adjective
preel·e·menta·ry adjective
quasi-ele·menta·ry adjective
super·ele·menta·ry adjective
transel·e·menta·ry adjective
unel·e·menta·ry adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of elementary¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English elementare (from Middle French elementaire ), from Latin elementārius. See element, -ary

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Synonym Study

Elementary, primary, rudimentary refer to what is basic and fundamental. Elementary refers to the introductory, simple, easy facts or parts of a subject that must necessarily be learned first in order to understand succeeding ones: elementary arithmetic. Primary may mean much the same as elementary; however, it usually emphasizes the idea of what comes first even more than that of simplicity: primary steps. Rudimentary applies to what is undeveloped or imperfect: a rudimentary form of government.

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Example Sentences

Although Huckabee's condescending tone - like that of an elementary school history teacher - makes it difficult to take seriously.

From The Daily Beast

And then I did teachers all throughout elementary school and junior high for my friends.

From The Daily Beast

Supporters pointed to math and literacy gains, while critics noted that those improvements disappeared in elementary school.

From The Daily Beast

A small-town Ohio elementary school teacher just racked up 25 charges on an otherwise clean record for allegedly raping her son.

From The Daily Beast

Her lawyer said he thought she had been fired from her job, as a first-grade teacher at Cridersville Elementary.

From The Daily Beast

He had no conception of the use of the other arms of the service, and never gained even the most elementary knowledge of strategy.

From Project Gutenberg

Have cabled a very elementary question: "Could not the Japanese bombs be copied in England?"

From Project Gutenberg

With them he is obliged to submit his bills to the elementary rules of arithmetic, and be careful that two and two make only four.

From Project Gutenberg

As time passed, this fund expanded considerably and was used to improve elementary education.

From Project Gutenberg

It is used in journals, memoirs, biographies, and many elementary histories.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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