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
That character is integral to the story.
The scenery was an integral part of the design in the sitting room, which looks out over a large bay window. —Marni Elyse Katz
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
… plastic bags … are made with integral handles, a great convenience, since one can carry several bags at a time.—
Witold Rybczynski
Witold Rybczynski2
: 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
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Growing for decades on the Russ family’s upstate property, the grand tree has been an integral part of the family’s milestones, but the longtime New Yorkers can’t wait to share its joy with the world.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2025
Imagine calculating every possible way billions of Lego bricks could fit together – that’s the scale of complexity physicists face when evaluating the configurational integral.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for integral
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Adjective
The 37-year-old veteran winger joined the Panthers at the trade deadline last season after spending his entire career to that point with the Boston Bruins and became an integral player in Florida repeating as Stanley Cup champions.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Growing for decades on the Russ family’s upstate property, the grand tree has been an integral part of the family’s milestones, but the longtime New Yorkers can’t wait to share its joy with the world.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
This method gave the group a rough estimate of the entire world population without having to resort to complicated calculation methods such as integrals.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2025
Imagine calculating every possible way billions of Lego bricks could fit together – that’s the scale of complexity physicists face when evaluating the configurational integral.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 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 6 Nov. 2025.
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