integral

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adjective in·te·gral \ˈin-ti-grəl (usu so in mathematics); in-ˈte-grəl also -ˈtē- also ÷ˈin-trə-gəl\

Definition of integral

1a : essential to completeness : constituent an integral part of the curriculumb (1) : being, containing, or relating to one or more mathematical integers (2) : relating to or concerned with mathematical integration or the results of mathematical integrationc : formed as a unit with another part a seat with integral headrest
2 : composed of constituent parts
3 : lacking nothing essential : entire

integrality

play \ˌin-tə-ˈgra-lə-tē\ noun

integrally

play \ˈin-ti-grə-lē; in-ˈte-grə- also -ˈtē-\ adverb

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Examples of integral in a Sentence

I do know that shoot-'em-ups (and saw-'em-ups) are likely to remain part of our lives, and that suggests a depressing idea: Maybe the love of violence is an integral part of human nature … —Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Oct. 2007
Stuffed with peanut butter, celery is the quintessential after-school snack; diced, it provides an essential crunch to chicken and potato salads; buttered up, it is an integral part of Thanksgiving stuffing. —Sara Dickerman, New York Times Magazine, 3 Sept. 2006
Sitting out on the grass … watching the freight trains roll by on the levee at two in the morning, drinking a beer and listening to the music drifting out of the club, is an integral part of the whole experience. —Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters, 2005
She had become an integral part of their lives.
a car dealer respected for his integral honesty and straightforwardness with customers

Recent Examples of integral from the Web

In his lone year with the Bulls, Rondo moved in and out of the rotation under coach Fred Hoiberg, sometimes garnering significant playing time and an integral role in the offense, and other times he was relegated to the bench.

— usa today sports, The Courier-Journal, "Chicago Bulls release point guard Rajon Rondo", 30 June 2017
Unfortunately, dams—while integral to protecting low-lying towns from floods and generating electricity—also halt the transfer of these key sediments.

— kyle frischkorn, Smithsonian, "What Are All The Ways That Land Can Disappear Beneath Your Feet?", 29 June 2017
From Larry Bird to Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing to Vince Carter, and even LeBron, the draft was integral to the construction of a playoff-caliber squad.

— matt giles, Longreads, "The Fading Relevance of the NBA Draft", 28 June 2017
These photos are an integral part of American music history.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Vibrant artists the vivid focus of Grace Bell's 'Music Scene Hear' photo exhibit", 24 June 2017
The Bulldogs' first commit of the year, Nolan has been an integral part of Samford's signing class since Sept. 2, 2016.

— samford athletics, AL.com, "Samford basketball adds highly-touted recruiting class", 23 June 2017
The chicken dinner always has been an integral part of the picnic.

— susan soldavin, Howard County Times, "Clarksville gets ready for two annual summer celebrations [Clarksville]", 22 June 2017
In an effort to make Amazon Prime even more integral to every day life, the e-commerce giant is rolling out Prime Wardrobe.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Amazon Launches a Try-Before-You-Buy Prime Wardrobe Service", 21 June 2017
The affable pressman began his career straight out of design school at Nashville’s Hatch Show Print, a nearly 140-year-old letterpress shop as integral to the country music scene as the Grand Ole Opry.

— steve root, Los Angeles Magazine, "In a Digital World, There’s Something Radical About The Church of Type", 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'integral'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of integral

see integer

NEW!

First Known Use: 1551

See Words from the same year

integral

play

noun in·te·gral \ˈin-ti-grəl (usu so in mathematics); in-ˈte-grəl also -ˈtē- also ÷ˈin-trə-gəl\

Definition of integral

: the result of a mathematical integration — compare definite integral, indefinite integral

Examples of integral in a Sentence

The main tools used in the study of these functions are those we have already discussed: representation as integrals, power-series expansions, and differential equations. —Robert S. Strichartz, The Way of Analysis, 2000