fundamentals

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   The most basic and important parts or principles of a subject, skill or system, which everything else is built on.

   Grammar: Always plural with a plural verb: the fundamentals are easy to learn.

   Patterns

   • the fundamentals of something
   • learn the fundamentals
   • master the fundamentals

   Before moving to advanced recipes, the course covers the fundamentals of cooking.

   The coach made the team practice the fundamentals every morning.

   You need to understand the fundamentals of grammar before you can write well.

2. 2nounpluralfinance

   The basic economic facts that show how strong a company, market or country is, such as profit, debt and growth.

   Grammar: Often with the: the fundamentals look healthy.

   Patterns

   • the fundamentals of a company
   • strong fundamentals

   Despite the market fall, the company's fundamentals remain strong.

   Analysts study the fundamentals of the economy before making forecasts.

   Weak fundamentals made investors nervous about the currency.

Common combinations

master the fundamentals

Beginners should master the fundamentals before trying difficult techniques.

back to the fundamentals

After a losing streak, the team went back to the fundamentals.

basic fundamentals

The workshop teaches the basic fundamentals of photography.

economic fundamentals

Strong economic fundamentals attracted foreign investors.

cover the fundamentals

The first lesson covers the fundamentals of first aid.

Synonyms and how they differ

basics

Basics is more casual and can mean simple beginner facts, while fundamentals sounds more formal and stresses the core principles.

essentials

Essentials are the things you cannot do without, which is not always the same as the underlying principles.

principles

Principles are the rules or ideas behind a subject, while fundamentals can also include basic skills and facts.

rudiments

Rudiments is older and more formal, and suggests only the very first stage of learning.

Opposites

Word family

fundamental adjective

forming the base; very important

fundamentally adverb

in a basic or very important way

fundamentalism noun

strict belief in the original rules of a religion or doctrine

fundamentalist noun

a person who follows such strict belief

Commonly confused: fundamentals or fundamental?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “fundamentals”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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