fundamental

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-?

Proto-Indo-European *-mḗn

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰnós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰundʰós

Proto-Italic *fundos

Latin fundus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin fundō

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom

Proto-Italic *-mentom

Latin -mentum

Latin fundāmentum

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin fundāmentālisbor.

Middle English fundamental

English fundamental

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/, [fʌn.dəˈmɛn.tɫ̩]

  • Audio (Southern California):

    (file)

• (Australia, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˌfɐn.dəˈmen.təl/, [fɐn.dəˈmen.tɫ̩]
• Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Noun

fundamental (plural fundamentals)

2. (generic, singular) 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.
   • 1928, Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Happy Warrior Alfred E. Smith‎^[1], Houghton Mifflin, →OCLC, →OL, page 28:

     Personal leadership is a fundamental of successful government.

4. (generic, plural) A collection of essential component ideas that are often grouped together to serve as the foundational basis of a complex idea.

   one of the fundamentals of linear algebra

   • 1722, John Locke, The Works of John Locke ...: With Alphabetical Tables ..., page 572:

     When any one offers me a compleat Catalogue of his Fundamentals, he does not unreaſonably demand me to quit mine for nothing […]

   • 1920, Frederick Soddy, Science and life: Aberdeen addresses, p. 159. Lecture to the Aberdeen University Christian Union, Marischal College, "Matter, Energy, Consciousness and Spirit" (Apr 25, 1919)

     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.

5. (physics) The lowest frequency of a periodic waveform.
6. (music) The lowest partial of a complex tone.

Translations

a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article

• Armenian: հիմունք (hy) (himunkʻ)
• Bulgarian: при́нцип (bg) m (príncip), осно́ва (bg) f (osnóva)
• Catalan: fonamental (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 基本 (zh) (jīběn)

• Czech: zásadní (cs)
• Finnish: fundamentti (fi), perusta (fi), peruskivi (fi), perusteet (fi) pl
• French: fondement (fr)
• Galician: fundamento (gl) m
• Georgian: საფუძველი (sapuʒveli), ძირითადი წესი (ʒiritadi c̣esi)
• German: Grundlage (de) f
• Greek: θεμέλιο (el) n (themélio)
• Italian: fondamento (it) m
• Japanese: 基本 (ja) (きほん, kihon)
• Kazakh: негіз (kk) (negiz)
• Korean: 기본 (ko) (gibon)
• Māori: tūāpapa
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari: тӱҥ (tüŋ)

• Navajo: áʼádaatʼéhígíí
• Norwegian: fundamental (no)

  Bokmål: grunnleggende (no)

• Portuguese: fundamento (pt) m
• Romanian: fundament (ro) n
• Russian: осно́вы (ru) f pl (osnóvy), при́нцип (ru) m (príncip)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Latin: ȍsnova (sh) f, tèmelj (sh) m

• Ukrainian: при́нцип (uk) m (prýncyp), осно́ва f (osnóva)

Adjective

fundamental (comparative more fundamental, superlative most fundamental)

1. Related to a foundation, base, or basis; serving as a foundation.
2. Essential; extremely important.

   Synonyms: elementary, underlying

   a fundamental truth;   a fundamental axiom;   a fundamental element;   fundamental principle;   fundamental law

   A need for belonging seems fundamental to humans.

   • 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:

     Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […]  But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.

Synonyms

• groundlaying
• See also Thesaurus:bare-bones

Derived terms

• algebraic fundamental group
• antifundamental
• bifundamental
• first fundamental form
• fundamental analysis
• fundamental constant
• fundamental data
• fundamental force
• fundamental frequency
• fundamental group
• fundamental interaction
• fundamentalism
• fundamentalist
• fundamentalistic
• fundamentality
• fundamentalize
• fundamentally
• fundamentalness
• fundamental niche
• fundamental painting
• fundamental particle
• fundamental right
• fundamental science
• fundamental theorem
• fundamental theorem of arithmetic
• fundamental theorem of calculus
• fundamental theorem of calculus for line integrals
• fundamental unit
• nonfundamental
• prefundamental
• unfundamental

Related terms

• fundament

Translations

pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation

• Arabic: أَسَاسِيّ (ar) (ʔasāsiyy)
• Azerbaijani: əsas (az), fundamental (az), əsaslı
• Belarusian: асно́ўны (be) (asnówny), фундамента́льны (fundamjentálʹny), падставо́вы (padstavóvy)
• Bengali: মৌলিক (bn) (mōulik)
• Bulgarian: фундамента́лен (bg) (fundamentálen), осно́вен (bg) (osnóven)
• Catalan: fonamental (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 基本 (gei¹ bun²)

  Mandarin: 基本 (zh) (jīběn)

• Czech: základní (cs), podstatný (cs)
• Danish: fundamental, grundlæggende (da)
• Dutch: fundamenteel (nl)
• Esperanto: fundamenta
• Estonian: põhi-
• Finnish: perustavanlaatuinen (fi), olennainen (fi), fundamentaalinen (fi), perus- (fi)
• French: fondamental (fr)
• Galician: fundamental (gl)
• Georgian: ფუძემდებელი (puʒemdebeli), ფუნდამენტალური (pundamenṭaluri), ფუნდამენტური (pundamenṭuri), არსებითი (ka) (arsebiti), ძირითადი (ʒiritadi)
• German: grundlegend (de), fundamental (de), grundsätzlich (de)
• Greek: θεμελιώδης (el) m or f (themeliódis)
• Hungarian: alapvető (hu)
• Ingrian: osnovnoi
• Italian: fondamentale (it)
• Japanese: 基本的な (きほんてきな, kihonteki na)
• Kazakh: іргелі (irgeli), негізгі (negizgi)
• Korean: 기본적 (ko) (gibonjeok)
• Latvian: fundamentāls
• Malayalam: അടിസ്ഥാന (aṭisthāna), മൗലിക (ml) (maulika)
• Maltese: fundamentali, fondamentali
• Māori: whakapū
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: fundamental (no), grunnleggende (no)

  Nynorsk: fundamental

• Persian: بنیادی (fa) (bonyâdi), اساسی (fa) (asâsi)
• Polish: podstawowy (pl), fundamentalny (pl)
• Portuguese: fundamental (pt)
• Quechua: tiksi (qu)
• Romanian: fundamental (ro), de bază
• Russian: основно́й (ru) (osnovnój), основополага́ющий (ru) (osnovopolagájuščij), фундамента́льный (ru) (fundamentálʹnyj), суще́ственный (ru) (suščéstvennyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: fȕndamentālan (sh), ȍsnovān (sh), tȅmēljnī (sh)
• Spanish: fundamental (es), cimental
• Swedish: grundläggande (sv), fundamental (sv)
• Tagalog: batayan
• Tajik: бунёдӣ (tg) (bunyodi), асосӣ (asosi)
• Thai: พื้นฐาน (th) (pʉ́ʉn-tǎan), เบื้องต้น (th) (bʉ̂ʉang-dtôn)
• Turkish: esas (tr), temel (tr), ana (tr)
• Ukrainian: основни́й (osnovnýj), фундамента́льний (fundamentálʹnyj), підставо́вий (pidstavóvyj)

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “fundamental”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Danish

Etymology

From fundament +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔndaməntaːl/, [fɔnd̥amənˈtˢæːˀl]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

fundamental

1. basic, fundamental

Inflection

Inflection of fundamental

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	fundamental	—	—2
indefinite neuter singular	fundamentalt	—	—2
plural	fundamentale	—	—2
definite attributive1	fundamentale	—	—

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Synonyms

• afgørende
• basal
• grundliggende, grundlæggende

Derived terms

• fundamentalisme
• fundamentalist

Galician

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-?

Proto-Indo-European *-mḗn

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰnós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰundʰós

Proto-Italic *fundos

Latin fundus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin fundō

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom

Proto-Italic *-mentom

Latin -mentum

Latin fundāmentum

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin fundāmentālisder.

Galician fundamental

Derived from Latin fundāmentālis. By surface analysis, fundamento + -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fundamenˈtal/ [fun̪.d̪a.mẽn̪ˈt̪ɑɫ]
• IPA^(key): /fundamɛnˈtal/ [fun̪.d̪a.mɛ̃n̪ˈt̪ɑɫ]
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective

fundamental m or f (plural fundamentais)

1. fundamental

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fundāmentālis. By surface analysis, Fundament +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʊndamɛnˈtaːl/
• Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

fundamental (strong nominative masculine singular fundamentaler, comparative fundamentaler, superlative am fundamentalsten)

1. fundamental

   Synonym: grundlegend

Declension

Positive forms of fundamental number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist fundamental sie ist fundamental es ist fundamental sie sind fundamental strong declension (without article) nominative fundamentaler fundamentale fundamentales fundamentale genitive fundamentalen fundamentaler fundamentalen fundamentaler dative fundamentalem fundamentaler fundamentalem fundamentalen accusative fundamentalen fundamentale fundamentales fundamentale weak declension (with definite article) nominative der fundamentale die fundamentale das fundamentale die fundamentalen genitive des fundamentalen der fundamentalen des fundamentalen der fundamentalen dative dem fundamentalen der fundamentalen dem fundamentalen den fundamentalen accusative den fundamentalen die fundamentale das fundamentale die fundamentalen mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein fundamentaler eine fundamentale ein fundamentales (keine) fundamentalen genitive eines fundamentalen einer fundamentalen eines fundamentalen (keiner) fundamentalen dative einem fundamentalen einer fundamentalen einem fundamentalen (keinen) fundamentalen accusative einen fundamentalen eine fundamentale ein fundamentales (keine) fundamentalen Comparative forms of fundamental number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist fundamentaler sie ist fundamentaler es ist fundamentaler sie sind fundamentaler strong declension (without article) nominative fundamentalerer fundamentalere fundamentaleres fundamentalere genitive fundamentaleren fundamentalerer fundamentaleren fundamentalerer dative fundamentalerem fundamentalerer fundamentalerem fundamentaleren accusative fundamentaleren fundamentalere fundamentaleres fundamentalere weak declension (with definite article) nominative der fundamentalere die fundamentalere das fundamentalere die fundamentaleren genitive des fundamentaleren der fundamentaleren des fundamentaleren der fundamentaleren dative dem fundamentaleren der fundamentaleren dem fundamentaleren den fundamentaleren accusative den fundamentaleren die fundamentalere das fundamentalere die fundamentaleren mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein fundamentalerer eine fundamentalere ein fundamentaleres (keine) fundamentaleren genitive eines fundamentaleren einer fundamentaleren eines fundamentaleren (keiner) fundamentaleren dative einem fundamentaleren einer fundamentaleren einem fundamentaleren (keinen) fundamentaleren accusative einen fundamentaleren eine fundamentalere ein fundamentaleres (keine) fundamentaleren Superlative forms of fundamental number & gender singular plural masculine feminine neuter predicative er ist am fundamentalsten sie ist am fundamentalsten es ist am fundamentalsten sie sind am fundamentalsten strong declension (without article) nominative fundamentalster fundamentalste fundamentalstes fundamentalste genitive fundamentalsten fundamentalster fundamentalsten fundamentalster dative fundamentalstem fundamentalster fundamentalstem fundamentalsten accusative fundamentalsten fundamentalste fundamentalstes fundamentalste weak declension (with definite article) nominative der fundamentalste die fundamentalste das fundamentalste die fundamentalsten genitive des fundamentalsten der fundamentalsten des fundamentalsten der fundamentalsten dative dem fundamentalsten der fundamentalsten dem fundamentalsten den fundamentalsten accusative den fundamentalsten die fundamentalste das fundamentalste die fundamentalsten mixed declension (with indefinite article) nominative ein fundamentalster eine fundamentalste ein fundamentalstes (keine) fundamentalsten genitive eines fundamentalsten einer fundamentalsten eines fundamentalsten (keiner) fundamentalsten dative einem fundamentalsten einer fundamentalsten einem fundamentalsten (keinen) fundamentalsten accusative einen fundamentalsten eine fundamentalste ein fundamentalstes (keine) fundamentalsten

Derived terms

• Fundamentalismus, Fundamentalist

Related terms

• Fundamentalerkenntnis, Fundamentalentscheidung, Fundamentalgesetz, Fundamentalsatz

Further reading

• “fundamental” in Duden online
• “fundamental”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from English 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.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /fundaˈmental/ [fun.daˈmen̪.t̪al]
• Rhymes: -ental
• Syllabification: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective

fundamental (comparative lebih fundamental, superlative paling fundamental)

1. fundamental

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Middle English

Alternative forms

• foundamental

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fundāmentālis, from fundāmentum +‎ -ālis; for the form foundamental, compare foundament, variant of fundament. First attested in c. 1449; by surface analysis, fundament (“foundation”) +‎ -al (“-al”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌfundaˌmɛnˈtal/, /ˌfundaˈmɛntal/

Adjective

fundamental (Late Middle English)

1. essential, foundational (of a belief or organ)
2. original, primary (of a source)
3. (rare) thorough, comprehensive (of research)

Derived terms

• fundamentally

Descendants

• English: fundamental

References

• “fundamentāl, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “fundamental, adj. & n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin fundāmentālis.

Adjective

fundamental (masculine and feminine fundamental, neuter fundamentalt, definite singular and plural fundamentale)

1. fundamental, basic

Related terms

• fundament

References

• “fundamental” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “fundamental” in Norwegian Academy Dictionary (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin fundāmentālis.

Adjective

fundamental (neuter fundamentalt, definite singular and plural fundamentale)

1. fundamental, basic

Related terms

• fundament

References

• “fundamental” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-?

Proto-Indo-European *-mḗn

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰnós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰundʰós

Proto-Italic *fundos

Latin fundus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin fundō

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom

Proto-Italic *-mentom

Latin -mentum

Latin fundāmentum

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin fundāmentālislbor.

Portuguese fundamental

Learned borrowing from Latin fundāmentālis.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /fũ.da.mẽˈtaw/ [fũ.da.mẽˈtaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtal/ [fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtal/ [fũ.dɐ.mẽˈtaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /fũ.dɐ.mẽˈta.li/

• Hyphenation: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective

fundamental m or f (plural fundamentais)

1. fundamental; essential (pertaining to the basic part or notion of something)

   Synonyms: essencial, básico

Derived terms

• fundamentalismo
• fundamentalista
• fundamentalmente

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “fundamental”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “fundamental”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French fondamental, from Latin fundāmentālis. Equivalent to fundament +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌfun.da.menˈtal/

Adjective

fundamental m or n (feminine singular fundamentală, masculine plural fundamentali, feminine/neuter plural fundamentale)

1. fundamental

Declension

Declension of fundamental

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	fundamental		fundamentală	fundamentali	fundamentale
	definite	fundamentalul		fundamentala	fundamentalii	fundamentalele
genitive- dative	indefinite	fundamental		fundamentale	fundamentali	fundamentale
	definite	fundamentalului		fundamentalei	fundamentalilor	fundamentalelor

Related terms

• fundament
• fundamenta
• fundamentabil
• fundamentare
• fundamentat

References

• “fundamental”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-?

Proto-Indo-European *-mḗn

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗn

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰnós

Proto-Indo-European *bʰundʰós

Proto-Italic *fundos

Latin fundus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin fundō

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom

Proto-Italic *-mentom

Latin -mentum

Latin fundāmentum

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin fundāmentālisder.

Spanish fundamental

Derived from Latin fundāmentālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fundamenˈtal/ [fũn̪.d̪a.mẽn̪ˈt̪al]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: fun‧da‧men‧tal

Adjective

fundamental m or f (masculine and feminine plural fundamentales)

1. fundamental

Derived terms

• derecho fundamental
• fundamentalismo
• fundamentalista
• fundamentalmente
• interacción fundamental
• teorema fundamental

Related terms

• fundamentar
• fundamento
• fundar

Further reading

• “fundamental”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Adjective

fundamental (not comparable)

1. fundamental

Declension

Inflection of fundamental

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	fundamental	—	—
neuter singular	fundamentalt	—	—
plural	fundamentala	—	—
masculine plural2	fundamentale	—	—
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	fundamentale	—	—
all	fundamentala	—	—

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

References

• “fundamental”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “fundamental”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “fundamental”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)