rudimentary

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical.

ru·di·men·ta·ry

(ro͞o′də-mĕn′tə-rē, -mĕn′trē)

adj.

1. Of or relating to basic facts or principles; elementary: I have only a rudimentary knowledge of Greek.

2. Being in an early stage of development or having a simple form: traveled upriver in a rudimentary boat.

3. Biology Imperfectly or incompletely developed: a mutant mouse with rudimentary claws.

ru′di·men·tar′i·ly (-târ′ə-lē) adv.

ru′di·men′ta·ri·ness n.

rudimentary

(ˌruːdɪˈmɛntərɪ) or less commonly

rudimental

adj

1. basic; fundamental; not elaborated or perfected

2. (Biology) incompletely developed; vestigial: rudimentary leaves.

ˌrudiˈmentarily, ˌrudiˈmentally adv

ru•di•men•ta•ry

(ˌru dəˈmɛn tə ri, -tri)

also ru`di•men′tal,

adj.

1. of or pertaining to rudiments or first principles; elementary.

2. undeveloped or vestigial.

3. primitive; crude.

[1830–40]

ru`di•men•ta′ri•ly (-mɛnˈtɛər ə li, -ˈmɛn tər-) adv.

ru`di•men′ta•ri•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.	1.	rudimentary - being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incomatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles" fundamental, underlying basic - pertaining to or constituting a base or basis; "a basic fact"; "the basic ingredients"; "basic changes in public opinion occur because of changes in priorities"
	2.	rudimentary - being in the earliest stages of development; "rudimentary plans" incomplete, uncomplete - not complete or total; not completed; "an incomplete account of his life"; "political consequences of incomplete military success"; "an incomplete forward pass"
	3.	rudimentary - not fully developed in mature animals; "rudimentary wings" vestigial biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms undeveloped - not developed; "courses in interior design were rare and undeveloped"; "undeveloped social awareness"

rudimentary

adjective

1. primitive, simple, basic, rough, crude, makeshift, undeveloped, unsophisticated, rough and ready It had been extended into a kind of rudimentary kitchen.

2. basic, fundamental, elementary, early, primary, initial, introductory He had only a rudimentary knowledge of French.

3. undeveloped, incomplete, immature, embryonic, vestigial a rudimentary backbone called a notochord
undeveloped advanced, mature, refined, later, higher, developed, complete, sophisticated

rudimentary

adjective

Of or treating the most basic aspects:

basal, basic, beginning, elementary, rudimental.

Translations

بِدائي، أوَّلي

primitivnízákladní

elementær

frumstæîur, vanòróaîur

elementare rudimentale

rudimentary

[ˌruːdɪˈmentərɪ] ADJ (gen) → rudimentario (Bio) → rudimental
he has rudimentary Latin → tiene las primeras nociones de latín, sabe un poquito de latín

rudimentary

[ˌruːdɪˈmɛntəri] adj → rudimentaire

rudimentary

adj (= basic) principles → elementar; equipment → primitiv; language, system → rudimentär; (Biol) → rudimentär; rudimentary knowledge → Grundkenntnisse pl; in a rudimentary way → in einer primitiven Form or Art und Weise

rudimentary

[ˌruːdɪˈmɛnt/ərɪ] adj → rudimentale

rudiments

(ˈruːdimənts) noun plural

the first simple facts or rules of anything. to learn the rudiments of cookery.

rudiˈmentary (-ˈmen-) adjective

primitive or undeveloped. rudimentary tools.

References in classic literature ?

Effects of external conditions -- Use and disuse, combined with natural selection; organs of flight and of vision -- Acclimatisation -- Correlation of growth -- Compensation and economy of growth -- False correlations -- Multiple, rudimentary, and lowly organised structures variable -- Parts developed in an unusual manner are highly variable: specific characters more variable than generic: secondary sexual characters variable -- Species of the same genus vary in an analogous manner -- Reversions to long lost characters -- Summary.

View in context

Some lichens lay upon the black rocks; some microscopic plants, rudimentary diatomas, a kind of cells placed between two quartz shells; long purple and scarlet weed, supported on little swimming bladders, which the breaking of the waves brought to the shore.

View in context

In him were traces of the softening civilisation of ages--of some of the higher instincts and education of man, no matter how rudimentary these might be.

View in context

They contend that no food is necessary, nor do they eat; but any one of the most rudimentary intelligence must realize that food is a necessity to creatures having actual existence."

View in context

His skin was fair as a woman's, far more satiny, and no rudimentary hair-growth marred its white lustre.

View in context

When young the orphan is commonly sent to an asylum, where by careful cultivation of its rudimentary sense of locality it is taught to know its place.

View in context

When she held her, she sunk her rudimentary nails into the poor girl's flesh, or twisted her arm in a most painful manner.

View in context

That afterglow has long faded away; and the picture we are apt to make of Methodism in our imagination is not an amphitheatre of green hills, or the deep shade of broad-leaved sycamores, where a crowd of rough men and weary-hearted women drank in a faith which was a rudimentary culture, which linked their thoughts with the past, lifted their imagination above the sordid details of their own narrow lives, and suffused their souls with the sense of a pitying, loving, infinite Presence, sweet as summer to the houseless needy.

View in context

Secondly, these missionaries would gradually, and without creating suspicion or exciting alarm, introduce a rudimentary cleanliness among the nobility, and from them it would work down to the people, if the priests could be kept quiet.

View in context

What strange developments of humanity, what wonderful advances upon our rudimentary civilization, I thought, might not appear when I came to look nearly into the dim elusive world that raced and fluctuated before my eyes!

View in context

There are rudimentary bow-windows, cornices, chimneys, demarcations of stories, etc.

View in context

Some private individual -- a Pentagon whose name is variously reported -- having casually discovered the constituents of the simpler colours and a rudimentary method of painting, is said to have begun decorating first his house, then his slaves, then his Father, his Sons, and Grandsons, lastly himself.