fundamental

• "fundamentals include a company's growth, revenues, earnings, management, and capital structure"

Synonyms

• fundamental frequencythe lowest tone of a harmonic series
• first harmonicthe lowest tone of a harmonic series

• "a cardinal rule"
• "the central cause of the problem"
• "an example that was fundamental to the argument"
• "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure"

Synonyms

• cardinal(Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes ; the number of elements in a mathematical set; a variable color averaging a vivid red ; crested thick-billed North American finch having bright red plumage in the male ; serving as an essential component; being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order
• centrala workplace that serves as a telecommunications facility where lines from telephones can be connected together to permit communication ; serving as an essential component; in or near a center or constituting a center
• keyserving as an essential component; identify as in botany or biology, for example ; provide with a key; vandalize a car by scratching the sides with a key; regulate the musical pitch of ; harmonize with or adjust to; metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated ; something crucial for explaining; pitch of the voice; any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music ; a kilogram of a narcotic drug; a winged often one-seed indehiscent fruit as of the ash or elm or maple ; United States lawyer and poet who wrote a poem after witnessing the British attack on Baltimore during the War of 1812; a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida ; (basketball) a space (including the foul line) in front of the basket at each end of a basketball court; a list of answers to a test; a list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations ; a generic term for any device whose possession entitles the holder to a means of access; mechanical device used to wind another device that is driven by a spring (as a clock) ; the central building block at the top of an arch or vault ; a lever (as in a keyboard) that actuates a mechanism when depressed
• primalserving as an essential component; having existed from the beginning

• "the fundamental laws of the universe"
• "a fundamental incompatibility between them"
• "these rudimentary truths"
• "underlying principles"

Synonyms

• rudimentarybeing or involving basic facts or principles; being in the earliest stages of development; not fully developed in mature animals
• underlyingin the nature of something though not readily apparent; located beneath or below ; being or involving basic facts or principles

• "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"

Synonyms

• profoundshowing intellectual penetration or emotional depth; of the greatest intensity; far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something; coming from deep within one; (of sleep) deep and complete; situated at or extending to great depth