[syn: fundamental, profound]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.
[1913 Webster]
The fundamental reasons of this war. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Some fundamental antithesis in nature. --Whewell.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
fundamental
adj 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,
central, fundamental, key, primal]
2: being or involving basic facts or principles; "the
fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental
incomatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths";
"underlying principles" [syn: fundamental, rudimentary,
underlying]
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" [syn:
fundamental, profound]
n 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 [syn: fundamental,
fundamental frequency, first harmonic]