elementary
adjective
el·e·men·ta·ry
ˌe-lə-ˈmen-tə-rē 
-ˈmen-trē
1
a
: of, relating to, or dealing with the simplest elements or principles of something
b
: of or relating to an elementary school
Examples of elementary in a Sentence
He is lacking even the most elementary notions of fairness.
The researchers made an elementary error.
He has an elementary understanding of calculus.
Recent Examples on the Web
As the incident led to revelations that MPS had neglected maintenance of paint on a district-wide level, the district worked with health officials on a Lead Action Plan that called for immediate inspections of every pre-1978 school with elementary students, followed by any necessary cleanup.
—
Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 1 Dec. 2025
The shows are part of the college’s family outreach efforts to low-income, underserved and underrepresented elementary and middle school students in the physics/STEAM fields.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 30 Nov. 2025
As of mid-November, more than 130 people remained in quarantine, most of them students at local elementary and middle schools.
—Lauren Sausser, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The credit will apply to any donations made to scholarship-granting organizations that support elementary and secondary students from low- and middle-income households.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elementary
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Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 1 Dec. 2025
The shows are part of the college’s family outreach efforts to low-income, underserved and underrepresented elementary and middle school students in the physics/STEAM fields.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 30 Nov. 2025
As of mid-November, more than 130 people remained in quarantine, most of them students at local elementary and middle schools.
—Lauren Sausser, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The credit will apply to any donations made to scholarship-granting organizations that support elementary and secondary students from low- and middle-income households.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elementary
Cite this Entry
“Elementary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elementary. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
elementary
adjective
el·e·men·ta·ry
ˌel-ə-ˈment-ə-rē
-ˈmen-trē
1
: of or relating to the simplest principles of a subject
2
: of, relating to, or teaching the basic subjects of education
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