fundamental
    adj 1: serving as an essential component; "a cardinal rule";
           "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was
           fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental
           to modern industrial structure" [syn: cardinal,
           central, fundamental, key, primal]
    2: being or involving basic facts or principles; "the
       fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental
       incomatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths";
       "underlying principles" [syn: fundamental, rudimentary,
       underlying]
    3: far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the
       nature of something; "the fundamental revolution in human
       values that has occurred"; "the book underwent fundamental
       changes"; "committed the fundamental error of confusing
       spending with extravagance"; "profound social changes" [syn:
       fundamental, profound]
    n 1: any factor that could be considered important to the
         understanding of a particular business; "fundamentals
         include a company's growth, revenues, earnings, management,
         and capital structure"
    2: the lowest tone of a harmonic series [syn: fundamental,
       fundamental frequency, first harmonic]

Fundamental \Fun"da*men`tal\, n.
   A leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article, which
   serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part, as, the
   fundamentals of the Christian faith.
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Fundamental \Fun`da*men"tal\, a. [Cf. F. fondamental.]
   Pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the
   foundation. Hence: Essential, as an element, principle, or
   law; important; original; elementary; as, a fundamental
   truth; a fundamental axiom.
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         The fundamental reasons of this war.     --Shak.
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         Some fundamental antithesis in nature.   --Whewell.
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   Fundamental bass (Mus.), the root note of a chord; a bass
      formed of the roots or fundamental tones of the chords.

   Fundamental chord (Mus.), a chord, the lowest tone of which
      is its root.

   Fundamental colors, red, green, and violet-blue. See
      Primary colors, under Color.
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