elementary
UK /ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəɹi/ · US /ˌɛləˈmɛntəɹi/ adjective, noun
Forms elementaries elementar elem
- adjective Relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something.
- adjective Very simple.
- adjective Relating to an elementary school.
- adjective (sciences) Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes.
- adjective (physics) Relating to a subatomic particle.
- adjective (chemistry, of a reaction) Involving only a single reaction step and transition state.
- adjective (mathematics, of a square matrix) Which performs a row or column operation on another matrix when the two are multiplied; see Elementary matrix on Wikipedia.Wikipedia (Such matrices are called "elementary" because they generate the general linear group).
- adjective (mathematics, of a symmetric polynomial) Arising from Vieta's formulas; see Elementary symmetric polynomial on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- noun (countable, mythology, mysticism) A supernatural being associated with the elements.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English elementare, from Latin elementārius (“elementary”), from elementum (“one of the four elements of antiquity; fundamentals”) + -ārius (adjective-forming suffix). Cognate with French élémentaire. By surface analysis, element + -ary.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Having only one principle or constituent part; consisting of a single element; simple; uncompounded; as, an elementary substance.
- adjective Pertaining to, or treating of, the elements, rudiments, or first principles of anything; initial; rudimental; introductory; as, an elementary treatise.
Etymology [L. elementarius: cf. F. élémentaire.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “elementary”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details