elementary en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌɛləˈmɛntɹi/ (General-American)
- /ˌɛləˈmɛntəɹi/ (General-American)
- ĕl'ə-mĕn′tə-rē (General-American)
- /ˌɛlɪˈmɛntɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- -trē (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English elementare, from Latin elementārius (“elementary”), from elementum (“one of the four elements of antiquity; fundamentals”) + -ārius (adjective-forming suffix). Cognate with French élémentaire. By surface analysis, element + -ary.
Meanings
- Relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something.
- Very simple.
- Relating to an elementary school.
-
Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes.
The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.
2012 March 14, Jeremy Bernstein, “A Palette of Particles”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 146:It is clear, therefore, that idealism contradicts the most elementary scientific knowledge and is contrary to all progress, whether social or intellectual.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 453:
- Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes. ▸ Relating to a subatomic particle.
- (of a reaction) Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes. ▸ Involving only a single reaction step and transition state.
- (of a square matrix) Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes. ▸ Which performs a row or column operation on another matrix when the two are multiplied; see Elementary matrix on Wikipedia.Wikipedia (Such matrices are called "elementary" because they generate the general linear group).
- (of a symmetric polynomial) Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes. ▸ Arising from Vieta's formulas; see Elementary symmetric polynomial on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- (of an argument or proof) Straightforward, employing only basic techniques; not requiring substantial knowledge (of some particular domain, object, etc.).
- (of an argument or proof, qualifier:mostly historical outside the phrase "Elementary number theory") Straightforward, employing only basic techniques; not requiring substantial knowledge (of some particular domain, object, etc.). ▸ Making no use of complex analysis.
- (archaic) Sublunary; not celestial; belonging to the sublunary sphere, to which the four classical elements (earth, air, fire and water) were confined; composed of or pertaining to these four elements.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| elem | Philippines, alternative | lexicographic | |
| more elementary | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| elementar | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most elementary | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
elementarily · unelementary · elementary function · elementary particle · postelementary · elementary symmetric polynomial · subelementary · elementary, my dear Watson · elementary topos · elementary geometry · monoelementary · elementary schooler · superelementary · elementariness · elementary charge · elementary equivalence · elementary substance · elementary matrix · elementary spaceship · elementary cellular automaton · elementarism · elementary algebra · elementary school · nonelementary
Translations (65)
el στοιχειώδης (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · fi alkeis- (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · pl podstawowy (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · cmn 基本 (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · ja 基本的な (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · fr élémentaire (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · ro elementar (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · bg нача́лен (relating to an elementary school) · it elementare (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · el στοιχειώδης (relating to a subatomic particle) · gd sìmplidh (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · es elementario (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · pl elementarny (relating to a subatomic particle) · no enkelt (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · it elementare (relating to a subatomic particle) · bg елемента́рен (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · uk елемента́рний (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · pt elementar (relating to a subatomic particle) · de elementar (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · pt elementar (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · ru нача́льный (relating to an elementary school) · fi perus- (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · uz boshlang’ich (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · gl primaria (relating to an elementary school) · ko 기본적 (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · nn grunnleggande (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · ru элемента́рный (relating to a subatomic particle) · ro elementară (școală) (relating to an elementary school) · ro fundamental (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · eo elementa (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · da folkeskole- (relating to an elementary school) · ro elementar (relating to a subatomic particle) · ckb سەرەتایی (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · fi alkeellinen (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · pl podstawowy (relating to an elementary school) · sv basal (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · mi whakapū (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · sv grundlig (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · ckb سەرەتایی (relating to an elementary school) · nl elementair (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · gl elemental (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · pl elementarny (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · nb grunnleggende (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · cmn 小學的 /小学的 (relating to an elementary school) · kmr seretayî (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · da elementær (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · pt fundamental (relating to an elementary school) · be элемэнта́рны (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · la elementārius (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · es elemental (relating to a subatomic particle) · gl elemental (relating to a subatomic particle) · ru элемента́рный (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · it elementare (relating to an elementary school) · pdt eefach (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · el στοιχειώδης (relating to an elementary school) · fi alkeis- (relating to an elementary school) · ka ელემენტარული (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · nn grunnleggjande (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · fi alkeis- (relating to a subatomic particle) · bg елемента́рен (relating to a subatomic particle) · nn elementær (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · sv elementär (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · nb elementær (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · sv grundläggande (relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something) · da elementar- (relating to a subatomic particle)