elementary
AdjectiveUS[el-uh-men-tree]/ˌɛləˈmɛntri/4–5 syllablesalso [el-uh-men-ter-ree] /ˌɛləˈmɛntɚri/, [el-uh-mench-ree] /ˌɛləˈmɛntʃri/
Open English WordNet
Adjective (3)
- easy and not involved or complicated“an elementary problem in statistics”“elementary, my dear Watson”“a simple game”“found an uncomplicated solution to the problem”Synonyms: simpleuncomplicatedunproblematicOpposite difficultSimilar easy
- of or pertaining to or characteristic of elementary school or elementary education“the elementary grades”“elementary teachers”Relating to grade school
- of or being the essential or basic part“an elementary need for love and nurturing”“a basal reader”Synonyms: elementalprimarybasalOpposite incidentSimilar basic
Word of the day · Nov 9About this word
inexorableadjective
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Adjective basic, fundamental
- French
- élémentaire
- German
- elementar
- Italian
- elementare
- Portuguese
- elementar
- Russian
- элемента́рный elementárnyj
- Chinese
- 基本 jīběn
- Dutch
- elementair
- Polish
- elementarny
- Swedish
- elementär
- Greek
- στοιχειώδης stoicheiódis
10 more languages
- Portuguese (PT)
- elementar
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 基本 jīběn
- Danish
- elementær
- Esperanto
- elementa
- Finnish
- alkeis-
- Georgian
- ელემენტარული elemenṭaruli
- Norwegian
- elementær
- Romanian
- elementar
- Scottish Gaelic
- sìmplidh
- Slovak
- elementárny
Adjective relating to an elementary school
- French
- primaire
- Italian
- elementare
- Russian
- нача́льный načálʹnyj
- Arabic
- ابتدائي ibtidāʔiyy
- Polish
- podstawowy
- Greek
- στοιχειώδης stoicheiódis
- Indonesian
- sekolah dasar
- Finnish
- alkeis-
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
El′e·men′ta·ry adjective
Origin: L. elementarius: cf. F. élémentaire.
1. Having only one principle or constituent part; consisting of a single element; simple; uncompounded; as, an elementary substance.
2. Pertaining to, or treating of, the elements, rudiments, or first principles of anything; initial; rudimental; introductory; as, an elementary treatise.
3. Pertaining to one of the four elements, air, water, earth, fire. “Some luminous and fiery impressions in the elementary region.” John Spencer
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54