integral

adjective

in·te·gral | \ ˈin-ti-grəl (usu so in mathematics)

; in-ˈte-grəl also -ˈtē- also nonstandard ˈin-trə-gəl

Definition of integral

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : essential to completeness : constituent an integral part of the curriculum

b(1) : being, containing, or relating to one or more mathematical integers

(2) : relating to or concerned with mathematical integration or the results of mathematical integration

c : formed as a unit with another part a seat with integral headrest

2 : composed of constituent parts

3 : lacking nothing essential : entire

integral

noun

in·te·gral | \ ˈin-ti-grəl (usu so in mathematics)

; in-ˈte-grəl also -ˈtē- also nonstandard ˈin-trə-gəl\

Definition of integral (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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Other Words from integral

Adjective

integrality \ ˌin-tə-ˈgra-lə-tē

\ noun

integrally \ ˈin-ti-grə-lē

; in-ˈte-grə- also -ˈtē- \ adverb

Examples of integral in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Yet posters were also integral to the twentieth century’s mass political movements. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "How Posters Became Art," 1 July 2019 Davis’ likely replacement to start alongside Stewart and Cody White – also should be the sole Spartan running jet sweeps if those remain integral to the offense. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State football's Jalen Nailor can fill the need for speed if healthy," 30 June 2019 Given that the best of Tintoretto’s paintings are in Venice, and that many are too large or too integral to specific institutions to move, the author questioned whether an adequate retrospective of his work could be mounted in the United States. — Washington Post, "Seeing Tintoretto is Venice is very nice. But so is seeing his works in a well-lit museum.," 27 June 2019 Indeed, Zaha was actually integral to the negotiations between the two clubs for this deal, with United managing to maintain their 25% sell-on clause for the Ivorian winger. — SI.com, "Aaron Wan-Bissaka Passes Man Utd Medical With £50m Move Completion Set for Friday," 27 June 2019 Another is that intelligence and respect for the score are integral, but only get you so far. — Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, "Review: Details Matter in Riccardo Muti’s Precise ‘Aida’," 23 June 2019 But as YouTube struggles to find a fix that addresses policymakers’ concerns, it’s left with a major roadblock: children have become integral to the overarching creator community. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "YouTube can’t remove kid videos without tearing a hole in the entire creator ecosystem," 21 June 2019 In addition, Project Scarlett — and its purported increase in processing power — is seemingly integral to Microsoft’s xCloud game-streaming service. — Patrick Lucas Austin, Time, "Should You Buy a PS4 or Xbox Now, or Wait for the New Models? How to Decide," 21 June 2019 The stuff is an integral component of every cell in the body, including, yes, your muscles. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Here's What Actually Happens in Your Body When You Eat Protein," 20 June 2019

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.