rudiment
noun
ru·di·ment
ˈrü-də-mənt 
1
: a basic principle or element or a fundamental skill
—usually used in plural
teaching themselves the rudiments of rational government—
G. B. Galanti
G. B. GalantiSynonyms
Examples of rudiment in a Sentence
learned the rudiments of mathematics
Recent Examples on the Web
The Frankfurt intellectuals’ Marxist faith in working-class resistance and militancy kept them from fully grasping the extent of Hitler’s successful obliteration of even the barest rudiments of political opposition.
—William E. Scheuerman, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013
That’s when a bipartisan commission led by Alan Greenspan, the future Federal Reserve chair, came up with the rudiments of a legislative package that put the system on a firm financial footing for a while.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 31 May 2024
Ben Stokes came on this tour, it was said, to learn the rudiments of Test cricket, to be around the dressing room.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Shaffer had seen in Pushkin’s playlet the rudiments of a grand spectacle, framed, like so many of his plays, as a duel between two men of different generations.
—Simon Callow, The New York Review of Books, 22 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for rudiment 
William E. Scheuerman, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013
That’s when a bipartisan commission led by Alan Greenspan, the future Federal Reserve chair, came up with the rudiments of a legislative package that put the system on a firm financial footing for a while.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 31 May 2024
Ben Stokes came on this tour, it was said, to learn the rudiments of Test cricket, to be around the dressing room.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Shaffer had seen in Pushkin’s playlet the rudiments of a grand spectacle, framed, like so many of his plays, as a duel between two men of different generations.
—Simon Callow, The New York Review of Books, 22 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for rudiment
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rudiment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rudiment
Cite this Entry
“Rudiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudiment. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rudiment
noun
ru·di·ment
ˈrüd-ə-mənt
1
: a basic principle or skill
—usually used in plural
the rudiments of grammar
2
a
: something unformed or undeveloped : beginning
—usually used in plural
b
: a body part so underdeveloped in size or structure that it is unable to perform its normal function
Medical Definition
rudiment
noun
ru·di·ment
ˈrüd-ə-mənt
: an incompletely developed organ or part
especially
: an organ or part just beginning to develop : anlage
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