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
Its rotation on the platform suggests narratives and storytelling in their most elemental form.
—
Emmanuel Iduma, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
And Foundry, the album, feels equally elemental, elegantly sculpted from human voice, strings, and synths.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
This contained an unusual elemental composition not commonly found on Earth.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
From Sardinia comes this elemental pasta with a true taste of the sea.
—Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elemental
Emmanuel Iduma, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
And Foundry, the album, feels equally elemental, elegantly sculpted from human voice, strings, and synths.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
This contained an unusual elemental composition not commonly found on Earth.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
From Sardinia comes this elemental pasta with a true taste of the sea.
—Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elemental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elemental
Adjective
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This simple decision loop repeats continuously, allowing the system to operate autonomously using only basic obstacle detection and directional comparison.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
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Michael Negrón, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former White House economic adviser under President Joe Biden, says inflation tends to disproportionately hit the Latino community because a large share of their income goes toward basic necessities.—
Maria Santana,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Learn about the hobby and this Chicago Park District program’s STEM offerings for elementary students.—
Jennifer Day,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Last month, an Orange County school district became the first to implement a ban on e-bikes for elementary and middle schoolers.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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In West Texas, some locals were hopeful that the exigencies of life in a rural area, where recordkeeping can be rudimentary and property boundaries aren’t always clear, might stymie the project, at least for a little while.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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Their earliest and biggest target has been Dax, a 32-year-old janitor-turned-rapper from Canada who spits overwrought motivational lyrics over rudimentary beats.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Your payment method will automatically be charged in advance the introductory rate every 4 weeks for 1 year, and after 1 year the standard rate every 4 weeks.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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In his introductory news conference Wednesday at the Advocate Center, Graham joked that starting out as a top executive is akin to becoming a first-time parent.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated Wednesday that Moscow’s fundamental terms are unchanged, with Putin insisting that Ukraine pull its troops from the four regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022 but hasn’t fully captured.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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More than a year later, Fúnez was arrested with two others, businessman Héctor Eduardo Méndez and Juan Ángel Ramos Gallegos, whom prosecutors accused of criminal association to the detriment of other fundamental rights.—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elemental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elemental. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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