rudimentary

adjective

ru·di·men·ta·ry | \ˌrü-də-ˈmen-tə-rē,

-ˈmen-trē\

Definition of rudimentary

1 : consisting in first principles : fundamental had only a rudimentary formal education— D. J. Boorstin

2 : of a primitive kind the equipment of these past empire-builders was rudimentary— A. J. Toynbee

3 : very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige the rudimentary tail of a hyrax

Other Words from rudimentary Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about rudimentary

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Other Words from rudimentary

rudimentarily \ ˌrü-də-ˌmen-ˈter-ə-lē ,

-ˈmen-trə-lē \ adverb

rudimentariness \ ˌrü-də-ˈmen-tə-rē-nəs ,

-ˈmen-trē- \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for rudimentary

Synonyms

crude, low, primitive, rude

Antonyms

advanced, developed, evolved, high, higher, late

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 It appears as if the posterior molar or wisdom-teeth were tending to become rudimentary in the more civilised races of man. — Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871 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

While some traffickers brag about using top-of-the-line mixers — sometimes the same machinery used by pharmaceutical companies — others use rudimentary equipment, authorities say. — Kristina Davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fentanyl has taken over America's drug market. Where is it coming from?," 17 June 2018 The boys were being given rudimentary diving lessons Wednesday, even though none of them knows how to swim. — Shibani Mahtani, BostonGlobe.com, "A congenital hand difference isn’t enough to hold this young athlete back," 4 July 2018 Some analysts say bringing up Libya, which dismantled its rudimentary nuclear program in the 2000s in exchange for sanctions relief, jeopardizes progress in negotiations with the North. — The Christian Science Monitor, "On cue, North Korea threatens to cancel Kim-Trump summit," 16 May 2018 There have been some preparations in both Washington and Europe should Mr. Trump decide to leave the deal, but people familiar with the situation say the efforts in both places are relatively rudimentary. — Laurence Norman, WSJ, "Macron, Merkel Set to Visit Trump With Iran Deal Hanging in the Balance," 19 Apr. 2018 But human rights groups have faulted Israel for answering rudimentary weapons with live ammunition. — NBC News, "Palestinians prepare for major move at Gaza-Israel fence," 14 May 2018 Bipedal humans with rudimentary technology faced off against animals as much as 1,000 times their size that were emotional, thoughtful, and influenced by the same social expectations that governed human communities. — Krista Langlois, Smithsonian, "Why Scientists Are Starting to Care About Cultures Who Talk to Whales," 6 Apr. 2018 The Free Press did some rudimentary vetting in cases where a candidate stated something that was factually inaccurate or where the numbers did not add up. — Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, "Does anyone running for governor have a new idea? We asked the candidates," 6 July 2018 In programs that were more rudimentary than Tay, there were usually protocols that blacklisted offensive words, but there were no safeguards to limit the type of data Tay would absorb and build on. — Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, "Unmasking A.I.'s Bias Problem," 25 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rudimentary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.