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
Saturday’s shooting came on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook school massacre, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including 20 elementary students.
—
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Paulino recently retired as a Hamilton Township School District elementary teacher and worked seasonally as a Santa Claus actor.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025
Together Real-life married couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco bravely plumb new depths of codependency in Michael Shanks’s Together, which sees elementary-school teacher Millie and aspiring musician Tim literally unable to separate after drinking some mystical cave water.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Marbrey said the charges against the retired Hamilton Township, New Jersey, elementary schoolteacher stem from an investigation into online child exploitation by her office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elementary
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Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Paulino recently retired as a Hamilton Township School District elementary teacher and worked seasonally as a Santa Claus actor.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025
Together Real-life married couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco bravely plumb new depths of codependency in Michael Shanks’s Together, which sees elementary-school teacher Millie and aspiring musician Tim literally unable to separate after drinking some mystical cave water.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Marbrey said the charges against the retired Hamilton Township, New Jersey, elementary schoolteacher stem from an investigation into online child exploitation by her office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 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 20 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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