rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrü-də-ˈmen-tə-rē 
-ˈmen-trē
1
: consisting in first principles : fundamental
had only a rudimentary formal education—
D. J. Boorstin
D. J. Boorstin2
: of a primitive kind
the equipment of these past empire-builders was rudimentary—A. J. Toynbee
A. J. Toynbee3
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
the rudimentary tail of a hyrax
Examples of rudimentary in a Sentence
Because now, every schlemiel with a pair of mirrored sunglasses and a rudimentary grasp of the rules of poker thinks he can play cards with the pros.
—A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
Recent Examples on the Web
The program was created by an aviation enthusiast with the call-sign Goronych and converts single-seater planes into rudimentary but effective long-range missiles.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
His clips are pretty rudimentary tributes to guys like Thomas Sankara, the former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, shouting them out with highlight reels and songs by 100 gecs and Jersey club collective TwerkNation28.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Adelman has no intention of limiting the Lithuanian center to such a rudimentary style, though.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
The department, run by State Superintendent Jill Underly, relies on a rudimentary system to track its investigations, obscuring the scale of misconduct for policymakers and the public.
—Danielle Duclos, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rudimentary
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Tim Lister, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
His clips are pretty rudimentary tributes to guys like Thomas Sankara, the former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, shouting them out with highlight reels and songs by 100 gecs and Jersey club collective TwerkNation28.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Adelman has no intention of limiting the Lithuanian center to such a rudimentary style, though.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
The department, run by State Superintendent Jill Underly, relies on a rudimentary system to track its investigations, obscuring the scale of misconduct for policymakers and the public.
—Danielle Duclos, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rudimentary
Cite this Entry
“Rudimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudimentary. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē
-ˈmen-trē
2
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a small part compared to the fully developed form
a rudimentary tail
Medical Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
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