rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrü-də-ˈmen-tə-rē 
-ˈmen-trē
1
: consisting in first principles : fundamental
… had only a rudimentary formal education …—
Daniel J. Boorstin
Daniel J. Boorstin2
: of a primitive kind
… the equipment of these past empire-builders was rudimentary.—A. J. Toynbee
A. J. Toynbee3
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
the rudimentary tail of a hyrax
Examples of rudimentary in a Sentence
Because now, every schlemiel with a pair of mirrored sunglasses and a rudimentary grasp of the rules of poker thinks he can play cards with the pros.
—A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
Recent Examples on the Web
But back in the time of Galileo, the phenomena of electricity and magnetism were only understood in the most rudimentary of fashions; by the 19th century, they had been investigated much more thoroughly.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
The Prelude’s rear seat is so rudimentary, Honda didn’t even provide a photo of it.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 5 Nov. 2025
These findings influenced their rudimentary glider designs.
—James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The concept is similar to the rare cases of humans who are born with rudimentary tails, a trait that was seen in primate ancestors over 25 million years ago, according to Brian Hall, research professor emeritus in evolutionary cell biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rudimentary
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Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
The Prelude’s rear seat is so rudimentary, Honda didn’t even provide a photo of it.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 5 Nov. 2025
These findings influenced their rudimentary glider designs.
—James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The concept is similar to the rare cases of humans who are born with rudimentary tails, a trait that was seen in primate ancestors over 25 million years ago, according to Brian Hall, research professor emeritus in evolutionary cell biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rudimentary
Cite this Entry
“Rudimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudimentary. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē
-ˈmen-trē
2
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a small part compared to the fully developed form
a rudimentary tail
Medical Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
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