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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elemental
The order said that domestic production, elemental phosphate and glyphosate is necessary for national security.
—
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Players have to create teams that exploit a boss’ weakness in order to defeat them, and that means building up characters that have the right elemental affinities.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
And yet what emerges from this elemental minorness is an art form with its own significance.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Rosi’s artistry grasps the limitations of being a long-term guest, visually juxtaposing the ancient and elemental, busts and people.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elemental
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Players have to create teams that exploit a boss’ weakness in order to defeat them, and that means building up characters that have the right elemental affinities.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
And yet what emerges from this elemental minorness is an art form with its own significance.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Rosi’s artistry grasps the limitations of being a long-term guest, visually juxtaposing the ancient and elemental, busts and people.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elemental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elemental
Adjective
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Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospitals and slashed public transport.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Bakri is responsible for many soul-shattering moments in Cherien Dabis’s exemplary multigenerational epic All That’s Left of You (now on digital), and the first takes place after an elementary-school lesson.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
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Students in elementary grades would be taught not to touch a found firearm, to leave the area and to tell an adult.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
By the late 1950s, Houdry had invented a rudimentary catalytic converter.—
Ann E. Carlson,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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The crash occurred at Tempe in northern Greece after a passenger train was placed on the wrong track, into the path of an oncoming freight train — an astonishing lapse on a rudimentary rail network.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Those moves were widely expected, as Geren was already referred to as the board’s president at an introductory news conference for new Superintendent Peter Licata on March 24.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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This introductory offer allows new players to simply sign up and play a $5 lineup to get the reward, providing an immediate boost to your starting bankroll.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In this regard, a fundamental reorientation toward grassroots and community-based partnerships is critical, building institutional capacity from the ground up rather than top-down.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
This key milestone, overseen by the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales, provides formal validation that there are no fundamental safety, security, or safeguards flaws in the SMR-300 design.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elemental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elemental. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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