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6 dictionary results for: fundamental

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

fun·da·men·tal

[fuhn-duh-men-tl] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying: fundamental principles; the fundamental structure.

2.	of, pertaining to, or affecting the foundation or basis: a fundamental revision.

3.	being an original or primary source: a fundamental idea.

4.	Music. (of a chord) having its root as its lowest note.

–noun

5.	a basic principle, rule, law, or the like, that serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part: to master the fundamentals of a trade.

Also called fundamental note, fundamental tone. Music.

a.	the root of a chord.

b.	the generator of a series of harmonics.

7.	Physics. the component of lowest frequency in a composite wave.

[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < ML fundāmentālis of, belonging to a foundation. See fundament, -al¹

]

—Related forms

fun·da·men·tal·i·ty, fun·da·men·tal·ness, noun

fun·da·men·tal·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. indispensable, primary.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

fun·da·men·tal (fŭn'də-měn'tl) Pronunciation Key
adj.

1. Of or relating to the foundation or base; elementary: the fundamental laws of the universe.
2. Forming or serving as an essential component of a system or structure; central: an example that was fundamental to the argument.
3. Of great significance or entailing major change: a book that underwent fundamental revision.
4. Of or relating to the component of lowest frequency of a periodic wave or quantity.
5. Of or relating to the lowest possible frequency of a vibrating element or system.
Physics
1. Of or relating to the component of lowest frequency of a periodic wave or quantity.
2. Of or relating to the lowest possible frequency of a vibrating element or system.
Music Having the root in the bass: a fundamental chord.

Something that is an essential or necessary part of a system or object.
Music The first harmonic in a harmonic series; the lowest harmonic.
Physics The lowest frequency of a periodically varying quantity or of a vibrating system.

fun'da·men'tal·ly adv.

(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fundamental

c.1443, "primary, original, pertaining to a foundation," modeled on L.L. fundamentalis "of the foundation," from L. fundamentum "foundation" (see fundament). Religious senses of fundamentalist (1920) and fundamentalism (1923) began in Amer.Eng. with a movement among Protestants c.1920-25 based on scriptural inerrancy, etc., and associated with William Jennings Bryan, among others. Fundamentalist first used in print by Curtis Lee Laws, editor of "The Watchman Examiner," a Baptist newspaper.

" 'Fundamentalism' ... appears to have been used first in connexion with the (American) Northern Baptist Convention of 1920 to describe the more conservative delegates who desired 'to restate, reaffirm, and reemphasize the fundamentals of our New Testament faith.' ... Now 'Fundamentalism' ... appears to describe the bigoted rejection of all Biblical criticism, a mechanical view of inspiration and an excessively literalist interpretation of scripture." ["London Times," Aug. 25, 1955]

Garry Wills, in "Under God" (1990) traces the terms and the movement to the Presbyterian General Assembly of 1910, which drew up a list of five defining qualities of "true believers" which other evangelicals published in a mass-circulation series of books called "The Fundamentals." A World's Christian Fundamentals Association was founded in 1918. Applied to other religions, especially Islam, since 1957.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

fundamental
adjective
1.	serving as an essential component; "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure" [syn: cardinal]
2.	being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incomatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles"
3.	far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something; "the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred"; "the book underwent fundamental changes"; "committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance"; "profound social changes"
noun
1.	any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business; "fundamentals include a company's growth, revenues, earnings, management, and capital structure"
2.	the lowest tone of a harmonic series

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Fundamental

Fun`da*men"tal\, a. [Cf. F. fondamental.] Pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation. Hence: Essential, as an element, principle, or law; important; original; elementary; as, a fundamental truth; a fundamental axiom.

The fundamental reasons of this war. --Shak.

Some fundamental antithesis in nature. --Whewell.

Fundamental bass (Mus.), the root note of a chord; a bass formed of the roots or fundamental tones of the chords.

Fundamental chord (Mus.), a chord, the lowest tone of which is its root.

Fundamental colors, red, green, and violet-blue. See Primary colors, under Color.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Fundamental

Fun"da*men`tal\, 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.

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