| / English Dictionary |
FUNDAMENTAL
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The lowest tone of a harmonic series
Synonyms:
first harmonic; fundamental; fundamental frequency
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("fundamental" is a kind of...):
harmonic (a tone that is a component of a complex sound)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Any factor that could be considered important to the understanding of a particular business
Example:
fundamentals include a company's growth, revenues, earnings, management, and capital structure
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("fundamental" is a kind of...):
factor (anything that contributes causally to a result)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Serving as an essential component
Example:
computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure
Synonyms:
cardinal; central; fundamental; key; primal
Classified under:
Similar:
important; of import (of great significance or value)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Being or involving basic facts or principles
Example:
underlying principles
Synonyms:
fundamental; rudimentary; underlying
Classified under:
Similar:
basic (pertaining to or constituting a base or basis)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something
Example:
profound social changes
Synonyms:
fundamental; profound
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
important; significant (important in effect or meaning)
Context examples:
The resistance means that the fundamental biochemistry and biology of the bacteria are changing.
(Nanoparticles may have bigger impact on the environment than previously thought, National Science Foundation)
But the club of the man in the red sweater had beaten into him a more fundamental and primitive code.
(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)
Inactivation of tumor suppressor BCDS2 Protein, encoded by Breast Cancer, Ductal 2 Gene, may represent a fundamental step in the pathogenesis of ductal carcinoma of the breast.
(Breast Cancer Suppressor-2, NCI Thesaurus)
A level of DNA packaging in chromatin above that of the nucleosome, the fundamental subunit of chromatin structure.
(Chromatin Fiber, NCI Thesaurus)
Cells are the fundamental, structural, and functional units of living organisms.
(Murine Cell Types, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)
Their fundamental action is to promote epithelial-cell restitution within the gastrointestinal tract.
(Mucosal Healing Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
Is a microscopic organ component that consists of organelles and is the fundamental structural and functional unit of living organisms (UMLS); together with other cells and intercellular matrix, it constitutes tissues.
(Murine Cell Types, NCI Thesaurus/UWDA)
The size range roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where many of the fundamental structures of biology are formed, composite materials may take on their distinctive characteristics, and many important physical phenomena are found.
(Nanoscale, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
A major division of a biological kingdom, consisting of closely-related classes; represents a basic fundamental pattern of organization and, presumably, a common descent.
(Phylum, NCI Thesaurus)
A combination of fundamental parameters, such as would involve products, sums and quotients.
(Macroparameter, NCI Thesaurus)
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