most fundamental

ADJECTIVE

basic, important

Synonyms

STRONGEST

central constitutional crucial elemental elementary essential indispensable integral intrinsic major necessary paramount principal radical significant structural theoretical underlying vital

STRONG

bottom cardinal first key organic original primary prime primitive requisite supporting

WEAK

axiological axiomatic basal bottom-line constitutive foundational grass-roots meat-and-potatoes primordial rudimentary substratal substrative sustaining underived

Antonyms

STRONGEST

accessory auxiliary extrinsic inessential insignificant learned least lesser minor needless nonessential secondary trivial unimportant unnecessary

WEAK

additional advanced extra subordinate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The most fundamental issue the researchers attempted to resolve is the relationship their subjects had with what is commonly thought of as the American secular faith in democracy.

From Salon • Jul. 5, 2026

Douglass’s masterpiece seeks entitlement to the most fundamental mastery of all: the legal right to be one’s own master.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026

Since I think soy sauce is definitely the most fundamental of Washoku’s basic seasonings, I believe we must preserve the traditional method for the next generation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

"DNA repair is one of the most fundamental processes in biology," said lead investigator Muralidhar L. Hegde, Ph.D., professor of neurosurgery at the Houston Methodist Research Institute's Center for Neuroregeneration.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2026

The first of these is that most fundamental question of all—what is a ‘beast’?

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling