in·te·gral
in-ˈte-grəl
(usually so in mathematics)
ˈin-ti-grəl
in-ˈte-grəl
also -ˈtē-,
also nonstandard ˈin-trə-gəl
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
in·te·gral
ˈin-ti-grəl
: the result of a mathematical integration compare definite integral, indefinite integral
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
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
Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Glyphosate is used widely as an integral part of raising crops including corn, soybeans and cotton genetically modified to resist its killer effect, and as a desiccant on potatoes, sugar beets, wheat and other crops just before harvest.
—John Klar, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2025
Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
Mathematicians were forced to follow in Weierstrass’ footsteps, further sharpening their definition of functions, their understanding of the relationship between continuity and differentiability, and their methods for computing derivatives and integrals.
—Solomon Adams, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for integral
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Adjective
In Super Nintendo World, for example, restaurants and stores are integral parts of the narrative journey — offering moments of discovery and interaction, not simply transactions.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Glyphosate is used widely as an integral part of raising crops including corn, soybeans and cotton genetically modified to resist its killer effect, and as a desiccant on potatoes, sugar beets, wheat and other crops just before harvest.
—John Klar, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
As if one pop culture reference weren’t enough for the scene, Johnson doubles down by making a bottle of Orbitz blob-water integral to the story.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
Mathematicians were forced to follow in Weierstrass’ footsteps, further sharpening their definition of functions, their understanding of the relationship between continuity and differentiability, and their methods for computing derivatives and integrals.
—Solomon Adams, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for integral
Cite this Entry
“Integral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integral. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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