Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Fundamental, basic, or primary: Pertaining to the most essential, simple, or irreducible components of something.
   • Related to the forces of nature: Pertaining to the powerful, often uncontrollable, forces of the physical world, such as weather.
   • Consisting of a single chemical element: Pertaining to or being a chemical element in its pure, uncombined form.

Usage and Examples

• Fundamental/Basic:

  • The book explores the elemental principles of physics.
  • Trust is an elemental part of any strong relationship.

• Related to Natural Forces:

  • The sailors battled against the elemental fury of the storm.
  • The landscape has a raw, elemental beauty.

• Chemical:

  • Oxygen in its elemental state is a gas.
  • The sample was tested and found to be elemental carbon.

Advanced Usage

• "elemental force": A fundamental, often personified, power of nature.

  • In the myth, he commanded the elemental forces of earth and fire.

• "elemental analysis": (Chemistry) A process to determine the elemental composition of a substance.

  • The lab performed an elemental analysis on the unknown compound.

Variants and Related Words

• Element (n): 1. A fundamental, essential part. 2. A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. 3. A natural environment.
• Elementally (adv): In an elemental manner; fundamentally.
• Elementalism (n): A philosophical or artistic focus on basic elements or natural forces.

Synonyms

• Basic, fundamental, primary, essential, rudimentary (for the 'fundamental' sense).
• Primordial, primal, natural, raw (for the 'natural forces' sense).

Antonyms

• Complex, compound, secondary, derivative, nonessential.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "the elemental": (Often used with 'the') The powerful, basic forces of nature or existence.
  • The artist's work seeks to capture the elemental in abstract forms.

Adjective

1. of or being the essential or basic part
   • an elementary need for love and nurturing
2. relating to severe atmospheric conditions
   • a race against hail or cold rains or some other elemental catastrophe- J.K.Howard
3. relating to or being an element
   • elemental sulphur