fundamental
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- essential, basic, cardinal, central, elementary, key, primary, principal, rudimentary, underlying
[noun]
Synonyms:
- principle, axiom, cornerstone, law, rudiment, rule

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Contrasted words: incidental
Related Words: primal, prime, primordial, elemental, elementary, indispensable, necessary, needful, requisite, dominant, paramount, component, constituent, element, factor

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English Thesaurus: basic, fundamental, essential, central, change, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

fun‧da‧men‧tal W2 AC /ˌfʌndəˈmentl◂/ adjective
[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: fundament 'basic part' (13-21 centuries), from Latin fundus; ⇒ fund¹]

1. relating to the most basic and important parts of something:
We have to tackle the fundamental cause of the problem.
fundamental change/difference/distinction/shift etc
a fundamental difference in opinion
fundamental mistake/error
Novice programmers sometimes make fundamental errors.
the fundamental principles of liberty and equality

2. very necessary and important:
fundamental human rights
fundamental to
Water is fundamental to survival.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

fundamental
adj.
VERBS be, seem | remain | consider sth, regard sth as We consider these freedoms fundamental to democracy.
ADV. truly, very | absolutely, quite This principle is clear and absolutely fundamental.
fairly, rather
PREP. to Improved funding is fundamental to the success of the project.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

fundamental

a fundamental change
A fundamental change is needed in the voting system.
a fundamental difference
There is no fundamental difference between people of different races.
a fundamental distinction (=a clear difference between two similar things)
A fundamental distinction exists between knowing a fact and understanding it.
a fundamental problem
Charity could not solve the fundamental problem of unemployment.
a fundamental question
To reach a solution several fundamental questions need to be answered.
a fundamental issue
This report raises a number of fundamental issues.
the fundamental reason
The fundamental reason for the project’s failure was the lack of funds.
the fundamental cause
A burst tyre was the fundamental cause of the crash.
a fundamental mistake/error
The government made at least one fundamental mistake when drawing up this legislation.
a fundamental weakness (=fault)
She points out the fundamental weaknesses in his argument.
a fundamental flaw (=fault that makes something imperfect)
There is a fundamental flaw in the current tax system.
fundamental principles (=moral rules or beliefs about what is right and wrong)
Let me state a couple of fundamental principles which we value highly.
something is of fundamental importance (=it is extremely important)
It is of fundamental importance that justice should be seen to be done.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

basic the basic things or information are the ones that are the most necessary, or the ones that you need to know first:
Visit our website for some basic facts about healthy eating, exercise and weight control.
Water – indeed everything basic to life here must be brought in by truck.
people's basic needs
fundamental more important than anything else - used especially when you want to emphasize what you are saying:
The fundamental problem is a lack of resources.
one of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity
These values are fundamental to our society.
essential used when talking about a particular thing or feature, which something must have in order to continue. Also used when talking about the main point, difference etc:
Freedom of the press is essential to our democracy.
Change and diversity are essential characteristics of the natural world.
The essential point is this: either we act now, or the whole future of our planet is uncertain.
One of the essential differences between humans and computers is that humans are more likely to make mistakes.
central very important and having a lot of influence or receiving a lot of attention:
Indonesia occupies a central role in this market.
Education is central to government policy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
transform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better:
Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great!
Putin transformed the Russian economy.
revolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention:
Computers have revolutionized the way we work.
This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
distort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are:
The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts.
Don’t try to distort the truth.
twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion:
He accused reporters of twisting his words.
In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
misrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say:
I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion.
He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.
big/major
Going to a new school is a big change for children.
slight/small/minor
The proposed changes were relatively minor.
gradual
There has been a gradual change in the weather.
dramatic/drastic/radical (=very big, especially in way that is surprising)
The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change.
significant
The change in blood pressure was not significant.
marked (=very noticeable)
There was a marked change in his behaviour.
fundamental
Reducing waste requires a fundamental change in attitude.
social/political/economic etc change
Demands for political and social change are growing.
sweeping changes (=affecting many things or people, especially because of an official decision)
There are likely to be sweeping changes in the company.
far-reaching changes (=important and having a great effect that will last a long time)
The Internet has brought about far-reaching changes in the way we work.
make a change
We've had to make some changes to the design.
introduce a change
A number of changes were introduced to the curriculum.
bring (about) change (also effect a change formal) (=cause change)
The war brought about radical social change.
Treatment is aimed at effecting a change in the child’s negative behaviour.
see/notice/observe a change
I saw a big change in her when I met her again.
undergo a change (=be affected by a change)
The body undergoes a number of changes during this time.
signal a change (=be a sign of a change)
Does this move signal a change in US foreign policy?
the pace/rate of change
People sometimes feel alarmed by the pace of technological change.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.
transformation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different:
There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father.
her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actress
revolution noun [countable] a complete change in ways of thinking or working:
The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution.
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.
shake-up noun [countable] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective:
The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up.
The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.
U-turn noun [countable] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do:
The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲