fundamental

fundamental — adjective

1. relating to the most basic part of a system or idea, on which everything else re

1.形容詞B2
釋義

relating to the most basic part of a system or idea, on which everything else relies or depends

例句

The students learned the fundamental principles of physics before tackling advanced topics.

collocation: fundamental principles

A balanced diet is fundamental to keeping your body healthy and your mind sharp.

pattern: fundamental to + gerund

同義詞
  • basic

    broader in scope; 'fundamental' implies that other things depend on it, whereas 'basic' simply means simple or elementary

  • foundational

    more formal and less common; used especially of systems, theories, or structures that are built upon

  • underlying

    emphasises that the thing is hidden or not immediately obvious but still essential

反義詞
  • superficial

    describes something that only concerns the surface level

  • secondary

    describes something that is less important or derived from something else

文法句型

fundamental to + noun/gerund

fundamental + noun

用法筆記

Attributive use (before a noun) is more common than predicative. The pattern 'fundamental to [noun/gerund]' is fixed — do not use 'of' in its place: 'Exercise is fundamental to good health', not 'fundamental of good health'.

常見錯誤

❌This is a fundamental of rule in our company.
✅This is a fundamental rule in our company.
💡'fundamental' is an adjective; it must modify a noun and does not take 'of' before the noun.

2. extremely significant in a way that affects the core nature of something; so imp

2.形容詞B2
釋義

extremely significant in a way that affects the core nature of something; so important that everything else depends on it

例句

There is a fundamental difference between how the two candidates think about taxes.

collocation: fundamental difference

The discovery caused a fundamental change in the way doctors treat heart disease.

同義詞
  • essential

    focuses on necessity (cannot do without); 'fundamental' focuses on centrality (everything hinges on it)

  • crucial

    emphasises urgency or decisive importance rather than foundational role

  • vital

    suggests something is needed for survival or success; slightly stronger than 'essential'

反義詞
  • minor

    describes something small and unimportant

  • trivial

    describes something of very little value or significance

文法句型

fundamental + noun (difference / change / right / mistake)

用法筆記

Commonly appears in fixed collocations: 'fundamental difference', 'fundamental change', 'fundamental right', and 'fundamental mistake'. Stronger than 'important' — it suggests that removing or changing this thing would alter the entire character of the subject.

常見錯誤

❌The cost was a fundamental factor in our decision.
✅The cost was a key / major factor in our decision.
💡'fundamental' implies something much deeper than just an important factor; it suggests the factor determines the whole outcome. Reserve it for things that shape the core nature of something.

3. relating to the lowest note in a musical chord or the main tone produced by a vi

3.形容詞C1
釋義

relating to the lowest note in a musical chord or the main tone produced by a vibrating object such as a stretched string or a pipe, from which higher overtones are derived

例句

In a C major chord, the note C is the fundamental tone that names the chord.

music: fundamental tone of a chord

The violin's lowest string produces a fundamental frequency that the other strings tune to.

同義詞
  • root

    in music theory, 'root' and 'fundamental' both refer to the note a chord is built on; 'root' is more common among musicians

  • tonic

    not the same — the tonic is the central note of a key or scale, whereas the fundamental is the lowest note of a specific chord

反義詞
  • overtone

    higher frequencies that sound above the fundamental and give instruments their distinctive timbre

文法句型

fundamental + noun (tone / frequency / pitch / note)

用法筆記

This is a specialised sense used mainly in music theory and acoustics. In everyday conversation, 'fundamental' almost always refers to the BASIC PRINCIPLES or CENTRAL IMPORTANCE senses above.

fundamental — noun