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
ru·di·men·ta·ri·ness
ˌrüdəˈmentərēnə̇s
-rin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being rudimentary
Examples of rudimentary in a Sentence
Adjective
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
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 June 2026
Together, the findings in chimpanzees and bonobos suggest a rudimentary form of syntax, the rules that govern word order in human language and give it flexibility and creativity.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
But those tells generally show up only in Claude’s most rudimentary outputs.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 2 June 2026
The call recording and transcription features are somewhat rudimentary, given that Android and iOS already have these capabilities.
—John Brandon, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rudimentary
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Adjective
Stalled by the pandemic, the festival’s inaugural edition took place in Jeddah’s Al-Balad old city neighborhood in 2021 with a make-shift cinema, rudimentary industry hub and a smattering of A-list guests and has since grown into one of the biggest film festivals in the Middle East.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 June 2026
Together, the findings in chimpanzees and bonobos suggest a rudimentary form of syntax, the rules that govern word order in human language and give it flexibility and creativity.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
But those tells generally show up only in Claude’s most rudimentary outputs.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 2 June 2026
The call recording and transcription features are somewhat rudimentary, given that Android and iOS already have these capabilities.
—John Brandon, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rudimentary
Cite this Entry
“Rudimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudimentary. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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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