as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
even if you're not planning on becoming a scientist, you should have an elemental knowledge of chemistry
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Recent Examples of elemental
His deep exploration of the archive paid true respect to Cristóbal Balenciaga, one of fashion’s greatest pioneers, while his reimagining of signatures — from sculptural silhouettes to something as elemental as the T-shirt — revealed a couture-level sensibility.
—
Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2025
Scented candles also release soot, which is elemental carbon.
—Staff Author, Verywell Health, 29 Sep. 2025
The director’s handling of mystical visions that haunt Ray is less than seamless, but his embrace of elemental forces is effective, particularly a hailstorm of near-biblical proportions that proves cathartic.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
Known as the hardest pure elemental metal, chromium is best recognized as an alloying agent that strengthens and enhances other metals.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elemental
Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2025
Scented candles also release soot, which is elemental carbon.
—Staff Author, Verywell Health, 29 Sep. 2025
The director’s handling of mystical visions that haunt Ray is less than seamless, but his embrace of elemental forces is effective, particularly a hailstorm of near-biblical proportions that proves cathartic.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2025
Known as the hardest pure elemental metal, chromium is best recognized as an alloying agent that strengthens and enhances other metals.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elemental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elemental
Adjective
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Training ground facilities are relatively basic compared to those of other Spanish top-flight clubs.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Ideally, clinical trials will be paired with basic research to help scientists answer the many questions this discovery has raised.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The all-inclusive resort also has an extensive activities program and kids programming for babies and toddlers, elementary schoolers, and teens.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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Basically, loop quantum gravity implies that space is not infinitely divisible — it’s made of elementary chunks, which are linked together into loops.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Prelude’s rear seat is so rudimentary, Honda didn’t even provide a photo of it.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Watch for promotions such as gift cards or introductory pricing for new customers.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The consumer’s journey includes a introductory questionnaire that covers sizes and style preferences as well as an ongoing dialogue with a human stylist.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Shein, which boasts 45 million European users, is beholden to an EU law designed to create safer digital spaces that protect the fundamental rights of internet users, the ministers said.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
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However, the paper, released Tuesday, claims these fundamental tests might not be reliable and calls into question the validity of many benchmark results.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elemental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elemental. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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