fundamental
Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance.
Examples
In a meeting
“Trust is fundamental to any successful client relationship.”
Over coffee
“Learning to chop properly is fundamental to cooking faster.”
Why this word
basic
Fundamental emphasizes serving as foundation for everything else, while basic suggests simple or elementary level
essential
Fundamental means forming the necessary foundation, while essential means absolutely required but not necessarily foundational
important
Fundamental indicates foundational necessity on which other things depend, while important is general significance
Usage tip
Implies that everything else depends on this. A fundamental problem undermines everything built on top of it.
Etymology
Latin fundamentum — fundare (to found, lay a base), from fundus (bottom)
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Related words
diagnose
To identify the cause or nature of a problem through examination.
emphasize
Give special importance or prominence to something
extrapolate
Extend known information to predict unknown outcomes
distinguish
To recognize or identify the difference between things
unpack
To analyze and explain something complex in detail
granular
Characterized by a high level of detail