fundamental(s = adj.all) cardinal, central, key, primal - 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"
fundamental(s = adj.all) rudimentary, underlying - being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incomatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles"
fundamental(s = adj.all) profound - 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"

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CIDE DICTIONARY

fundamental, a. [Cf. F. fondamental.].

Pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation. [1913 Webster]

"The fundamental reasons of this war." [1913 Webster]

"Some fundamental antithesis in nature." [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.

fundamental, 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]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

fundamental, adj. & n.
--adj. of, affecting, or serving as a base or foundation, essential, primary, original (a fundamental change; the fundamental rules; the fundamental form).
--n.
1 (usu. in pl.) a fundamental rule, principle, or article.
2 Mus. a fundamental note or tone.

Idiom

fundamental note Mus. the lowest note of a chord in its original (uninverted) form. fundamental particle an elementary particle. fundamental tone Mus. the tone produced by vibration of the whole of a sonorous body (opp. HARMONIC).

Derivative

fundamentality n. fundamentally adv.

Etymology

ME f. F fondamental or LL fundamentalis (as FUNDAMENT)

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THESAURUS

fundamental

AF, ab ovo, abecedarian, aboriginal, antenatal, audio frequency, austere, autochthonous, axiom, bare, basal, base, basement, basic, basilar, basis, bearing wall, bed, bedding, bedrock, beginning, bench mark, bottom, budding, cardinal, cardinal point, center, central, chaste, chief thing, climax, component, constituent, constitutional, constitutive, core, cornerstone, creative, crisis, critical, critical point, crucial, crux, dominant, element, elemental, elementary, elements, elixir, embryonic, essence, essential, essential matter, factor, fetal, first, floor, flooring, flower, focal, focus, fond, footing, formative, foundation, foundational, frequency, fundament, fundamental tone, generative, genetic, germinal, gestatory, gist, grammar, gravamen, great point, ground, grounds, groundwork, gut, hardpan, harmonic, heart, high point, homely, homespun, homogeneous, hypostasis, important, important thing, in embryo, in its infancy, in ovo, in the bud, inaugural, inceptive, inchoate, inchoative, incipient, incunabular, indispensable, indivisible, infant, infantile, inherent, initial, initiative, initiatory, inner essence, intonation, intrinsic, introductory, inventive, irreducible, issue, kernel, keystone, landmark, law, life-and-death, life-or-death, main, main point, main thing, marrow, material, material point, meat, mere, milestone, monolithic, monotone, monotony, nascent, natal, necessary, needful, nub, nucleus, nuts and bolts, of a piece, of the essence, of vital importance, organic, original, overtone, paramount, part and parcel, partial, partial tone, parturient, pavement, pitch, pith, pivot, plain, postnatal, postulate, pregnant, prenatal, primal, primary, prime, primeval, primitive, primogenial, primordial, principal, principium, principle, principles, pristine, procreative, protogenic, pure, pure and simple, quid, quiddity, quintessence, quintessential, radical, real issue, requisite, riprap, rock bottom, rudiment, rudimental, rudimentary, rudiments, rule, salient point, sap, seat, seminal, severe, sill, simon-pure, simple, sine qua non, single, solid ground, solid rock, soul, spare, spirit, stark, stereobate, stuff, stylobate, substance, substantial, substantive, substantive point, substratum, substruction, substructure, terra firma, the bottom line, the nitty-gritty, the point, theorem, tone, tonelessness, turning point, unadorned, uncluttered, underbuilding, undercarriage, undergirding, underlying, underpinning, understruction, understructure, undifferenced, undifferentiated, uniform, ur, vital

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ROGET THESAURUS

fundamental

Intrinsicality

N intrinsicality, inbeing, inherence, inhesion, subjectiveness, ego, egohood, essence, noumenon, essentialness, essential part, quintessence, incarnation, quiddity, gist, pith, marrow, core, sap, lifeblood, backbone, heart, soul, important part, principle, nature, constitution, character, type, quality, crasis, diathesis, habit, temper, temperament, spirit, humor, grain, disposition, endowment, capacity, capability, moods, declensions, features, aspects, peculiarities, idiosyncrasy, oddity, idiocrasy, diagnostics, derived from within, subjective, intrinsic, intrinsical, fundamental, normal, implanted, inherent, essential, natural, innate, inborn, inbred, ingrained, inwrought, coeval with birth, genetous, haematobious, syngenic, radical, incarnate, thoroughbred, hereditary, inherited, immanent, congenital, congenite, connate, running in the blood, ingenerate, ingenite, indigenous, in the grain, bred in the bone, instinctive, inward, internal, to the manner born, virtual, characteristic, invariable, incurable, incorrigible, ineradicable, fixed, intrinsically, at bottom, in the main, in effect, practically, virtually, substantially, au fond, fairly, character is higher than intellect, come give us a taste of your quality, magnos homines virtute metimur non fortuna, non numero haec judicantur sed pondere, vital spark of heavenly flame.

Base

N base, basement, plinth, dado, wainscot, baseboard, mopboard, bedrock, hardpan, foundation, substructure, substratum, ground, earth, pavement, floor, paving, flag, carped, ground floor, deck, footing, ground work, basis, hold, bilge, bottom, nadir, foot, sole, toe, hoof, keel, root, centerboard, bottom, undermost, nethermost, fundamental, founded on, based on, grounded on, built on.

Support

N support, ground, foundation, base, basis, terra firma, bearing, fulcrum, bait, caudex crib, point d'appui, pou sto, purchase footing, hold, locus standi, landing place, landing stage, stage, platform, block, rest, resting place, groundwork, substratum, riprap, sustentation, subvention, floor, supporter, aid, prop, stand, anvil, fulciment, cue rest, jigger, monkey, stay, shore, skid, rib, truss, bandage, sleeper, stirrup, stilts, shoe, sole, heel, splint, lap, bar, rod, boom, sprit, outrigger, ratlings, staff, stick, crutch, alpenstock, baton, staddle, bourdon, cowlstaff, lathi, mahlstick, post, pillar, shaft, thill, column, pilaster, pediment, pedicle, pedestal, plinth, shank, leg, socle, zocle, buttress, jamb, mullion, abutment, baluster, banister, stanchion, balustrade, headstone, upright, door post, jamb, door jamb, frame, framework, scaffold, skeleton, beam, rafter, girder, lintel, joist, travis, trave, corner stone, summer, transom, rung, round, step, sill, angle rafter, hip rafter, cantilever, modillion, crown post, king post, vertebra, columella, backbone, keystone, axle, axletree, axis, arch, mainstay, trunnion, pivot, rowlock, peg, tiebeam, thole pin, board, ledge, shelf, hob, bracket, trevet, trivet, arbor, rack, mantel, mantle piece, mantleshelf, slab, console, counter, dresser, flange, corbel, table, trestle, shoulder, perch, horse, easel, desk, clotheshorse, hatrack, retable, teapoy, seat, throne, dais, divan, musnud, chair, bench, form, stool, sofa, settee, stall, arm chair, easy chair, elbow chair, rocking chair, couch, fauteuil, woolsack, ottoman, settle, squab, bench, aparejo, faldstool, horn, long chair, long sleeve chair, morris chair, lamba chauki, lamba kursi, saddle, pannel, pillion, side saddle, pack saddle, pommel, bed, berth, pallet, tester, crib, cot, hammock, shakedown, trucklebed, cradle, litter, stretcher, bedstead, four poster, French bed, bunk, kip, palang, bedding, bichhona, mattress, paillasse, pillow, bolster, mat, rug, cushion, footstool, hassock, tabouret, tripod, monopod, Atlas, Persides, Atlantes, Caryatides, Hercules, supporting, supported, fundamental, dorsigerous, astride on, straddle.

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