integral

1 of 2

adjective

in·​te·​gral
(usually so in mathematics)
ˈin-ti-grəl How to pronounce integral (audio) in-ˈte-grəl How to pronounce integral (audio)
 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
integrality noun
integrally
ˈin-ti-grə-lē How to pronounce integral (audio)
in-ˈte-grə-
 also  -ˈtē-
adverb

integral

2 of 2

noun

in·​te·​gral ˈin-ti-grəl How to pronounce integral (audio)
: 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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The musical is produced by Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, who were all integral to getting the series onscreen (Spielberg and Meron as producers and Greenblatt as then-chairman of NBC). Gordon Cox, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023 From internal training to sharing news and resources, curiosity is integral to our company culture. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2023 In the book, Alicia’s grandmother is integral to her spiritual development. Hazlitt, 20 Sep. 2023 Instead, his department tries to limit firefighter exposure to gear that’s been integral to firefighter identity. Michael Casey, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023 On the court: Hall will again be an integral part of the Raiders’ attack this season. Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023 Brad Whitford, 71 Rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford has been an integral part of Aerosmith since replacing founding member Ray Tabano in 1971. Emily Krauser, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023 Hip-hop has grown into a global artform, becoming one of the world’s most influential cultural forces, an integral part of social and racial justice movements and a multibillion-dollar industry built on generations of rapping, emceeing, deejaying, breaking, and graffiti. BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023 But while Modi made Gandhi an integral part of the G20 summit this weekend, the freedom fighter’s legacy within Modi’s own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains complicated. Rhea Mogul, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023
Noun
Over the past decade, UCLA revamped its calculus for life sciences courses, focusing them more strictly on math concepts and real-world biological questions, rather than on procedural rules for derivatives and integrals – which its advocates describe as a paradigm shift for calculus instruction. Daniel Mollenkamp, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 The most powerful formula in physics starts with a slender S, the symbol for a sort of sum known as an integral. Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2023 The trick is to expand the integral from one to two dimensions. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2023 The oracular formula is known as the Feynman path integral. Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2023 The cutoff independent physics, defined by the Euclidean functional integral over the 4-sphere admits only a finite number of instantons. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2012 The path integral is a way of describing a particle's travels in terms of a quantum superposition of all possible routes. Ahmed Almheiri, Scientific American, 17 Aug. 2022 However, the real winners are the individuals, creators and brands making this integral to their business model(s). Nathaniel Hunter, Forbes, 15 July 2022 Both Croot and Bloom broke the integral into parts and proved that one main term was large and positive, and that all the other terms (which could sometimes be negative) were too small to make a meaningful difference. Quanta Magazine, 9 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'integral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see integer

Noun

see integer

First Known Use

Adjective

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of integral was in 1551

Dictionary Entries Near integral

Cite this Entry

“Integral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integral. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

integral

adjective
in·​te·​gral
ˈint-i-grəl (,
 usually so in mathematics  );
in-ˈteg-rəl,
 also  -ˈtēg-
1
: needed for completeness
a lens is an integral part of a camera
2
: of or relating to an integer
9 is an integral factor of 72
3
: made up of components that together make a whole
an integral locking system
4
: lacking nothing essential : entire
integrally
ˈint-i-grə-lē;
in-ˈteg-rə-
 also  -ˈtēg-
adverb

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