integral

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

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of integral

1 a : 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

—

integrality

play \ˌin-tə-ˈgra-lə-tē\ noun

—

integrally

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

See integral defined for English-language learners

See integral defined for kids

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

This permitting system is integral to digital track-and-trace, the centerpiece of California’s cannabis regulation that demands every bit grown and sold in the state is accounted for, from seed to smoke.

— nick stockton, WIRED, "California Rules May Make Weed Shippers Report Themselves to the Feds," 13 May 2018
The missions stir up the melting pot of influences from the colonial settlers, nomadic Coahuiltecans and other indigenous hunter-and-gatherer groups who were integral to the early Texas settlement.

— andrea sachs, chicagotribune.com, "This summer, stop by the 23 U.S. locales that have risen to become UNESCO World Heritage sites," 4 May 2018
The Bank Mutual acquisition was integral to Associated's results in the quarter.

— paul gores, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "First-quarter earnings rise 24% for Associated Banc-Corp," 19 Apr. 2018
Job training and internship opportunities are integral to the project, Layman said.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "Anchorage’s large private landlords team up to provide apartments for the homeless," 19 Apr. 2018
And the latter is integral to how the American gun industry now works.

— j.j. gould, The New Republic, "The Opposite of Dread," 19 Apr. 2018
For Google, a company that’s primary product is a search engine that traffics mostly in text, these advances in AI are integral to its business and to its goals of making software that can understand and parse elements of human language.

— nick statt, The Verge, "Google’s latest AI experiments let you talk to books and test word association skills," 13 Apr. 2018
The characters’ races, of course, are integral to the story, set in 1950s New York.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Could new 'West Side Story' star be found in Orlando?," 10 Apr. 2018
As Dobbins points out, a focus on family unity is integral to the program’s success.

— nicole miller-coleman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "It's a ducky affair: Fundraiser supports preschool program," 8 Apr. 2018

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! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1551

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

integral Synonyms

Phrases

of the essence;

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

: 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