el·e·men·tal
ˌe-lə-ˈmen-tᵊl 
1
a
: of, relating to, or being an element
specifically
: existing as an uncombined chemical element
b(1)
: of, relating to, or being the basic or essential constituent of something : fundamental
elemental biological needs
(2)
: simple, uncomplicated
elemental food
c
: of, relating to, or dealing with the rudiments of something : elementary
taught elemental crafts to the children
d
: forming an integral part : inherent
an elemental sense of rhythm
2
: of, relating to, or resembling a great force of nature
the rains come with elemental violence
elemental passions
plural elementals
1
: a supernatural being : spirit
"It's a heritage. My mother was a witch and her mother was a witch. My specialty is (prophetic) dreaming. We believe elementals do exist," said Lady L …—
D. L. Stephenson
D. L. Stephenson2
: an elementary part or principle
—usually plural
All objects consist of smaller objects. … Lamps, bicycles, and houses are compound objects made of constituent parts, or elementals.—Alan L. Laity
Alan L. LaityThese two epistemologies exist in distinct dimensions: science struggles to discover the elementals of our material existence through empiricism, and theology strives to describe the universality of our … existence through faith.—Jack Hitt
Jack Hitt
Synonyms
Examples of elemental in a Sentence
Adjective
an elemental difference between the two
Their elemental passion led to tragedy.
the elemental power of the storm
an elemental analysis of the solution
Recent Examples on the WebAnn Abel, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
That script is nourished by the study, much like Clavell’s, of a real moment in Japanese history, complete with narrative lines structured around a social hierarchy that feels like new information for a Western viewer and also elemental to the story.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024
When the cabin can no longer contain this clash of egos and hormones, the group must quite literally take it outside — cuing a third act of predatory mind games, elemental danger and unexpected loss in the wild that reveals new reaches to Lesage’s already expansively fraught script.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Fighters can use their shield as a stepping stone to boost teammates to higher ground on giant enemies while mages can augment weapons to deal elemental damage.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
To experimentally test the possibility of post-death contamination, the researchers have now buried fresh animal bones with cinnabar and will measure their elemental makeup in the future.
—Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
In the series, the 12-year-old boy ran away from home and was frozen for 100 years, during which time the fire nation of the show’s universe eradicated the airbenders and began warring with the remaining two elemental nations.
—Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024
One thing to note is that the amount of elemental iron varies among the different forms of iron.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024
If broken apart into its elemental components — hydrogen and oxygen — the water could also become future propellants for rockets.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024
Maggie O'Neill, Health, 21 Mar. 2024
In the final measures of the third piece, four-note chords jangle against the elemental fifth of C and G, each giving off a smoky, sassy vibe.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
On this mind-altering trip, the women may have liaised with deities and divined their society’s future—unaware that the powder’s potency came from its main elemental component: the toxic metal mercury.
—Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
For example, ferrous sulfate contains only 20% elemental iron, whereas ferrous fumarate contains 33%.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024
Cohn creates her elemental and elegant jewels by working directly with wax to create the molds, rather than sketching out designs.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Prieto’s calm demeanor and his commitment to getting the work done, no matter the elemental hurdles, left Scorsese speechless.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 Feb. 2024
These new Fae bore elemental magic, strong enough to make Pelias wary of them.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
To generations of musical aficionados, Ms. Rivera was a whirling, bounding, high-kicking elemental force of the dance; a seductive singer of smoky ballads and sizzling jazz; and a propulsive actress of vaudevillian energy.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
Adjective
There’s not a canvas wall in sight, but everything has an earthiness and elemental simplicity.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
That script is nourished by the study, much like Clavell’s, of a real moment in Japanese history, complete with narrative lines structured around a social hierarchy that feels like new information for a Western viewer and also elemental to the story.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024
When the cabin can no longer contain this clash of egos and hormones, the group must quite literally take it outside — cuing a third act of predatory mind games, elemental danger and unexpected loss in the wild that reveals new reaches to Lesage’s already expansively fraught script.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Fighters can use their shield as a stepping stone to boost teammates to higher ground on giant enemies while mages can augment weapons to deal elemental damage.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
To experimentally test the possibility of post-death contamination, the researchers have now buried fresh animal bones with cinnabar and will measure their elemental makeup in the future.
—Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
In the series, the 12-year-old boy ran away from home and was frozen for 100 years, during which time the fire nation of the show’s universe eradicated the airbenders and began warring with the remaining two elemental nations.
—Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024
One thing to note is that the amount of elemental iron varies among the different forms of iron.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024
If broken apart into its elemental components — hydrogen and oxygen — the water could also become future propellants for rockets.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
For about seven years, roughly half of the participants took 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium carbonate (which included 400 mg of elemental calcium) and 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D3, a form of vitamin D that humans produce naturally.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 21 Mar. 2024
In the final measures of the third piece, four-note chords jangle against the elemental fifth of C and G, each giving off a smoky, sassy vibe.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
On this mind-altering trip, the women may have liaised with deities and divined their society’s future—unaware that the powder’s potency came from its main elemental component: the toxic metal mercury.
—Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
For example, ferrous sulfate contains only 20% elemental iron, whereas ferrous fumarate contains 33%.
—Casey Seiden, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024
Cohn creates her elemental and elegant jewels by working directly with wax to create the molds, rather than sketching out designs.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Prieto’s calm demeanor and his commitment to getting the work done, no matter the elemental hurdles, left Scorsese speechless.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 Feb. 2024
These new Fae bore elemental magic, strong enough to make Pelias wary of them.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
To generations of musical aficionados, Ms. Rivera was a whirling, bounding, high-kicking elemental force of the dance; a seductive singer of smoky ballads and sizzling jazz; and a propulsive actress of vaudevillian energy.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elemental.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Elemental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elemental. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
elemental
adjective
el·e·men·tal
ˌel-ə-ˈment-ᵊl
1
a
: of, relating to, or being an element
especially
: existing as an uncombined chemical element
2
: of, relating to, or resembling a force of nature
Medical Definition
elemental
adjective
el·e·men·tal
ˌel-ə-ˈment-ᵊl
: of, relating to, or being an element
specifically
: existing as an uncombined chemical element
More from Merriam-Webster on elemental
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Britannica English: Translation of elemental for Arabic Speakers
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