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Added 9 October 2026

rudimentary

/ˌɹuːdɪˈmɛntəɹi/ adjective

Latin root: rudīmentārius Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rudimentary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Being or involving basic facts or principles.
the fundamental laws of the universe
Being in the earliest stages of development.
rudimentary plans
Not fully developed in mature animals.
rudimentary wings

Origin

From rudiment + -ary (adjectival suffix), perhaps after New Latin rudīmentārius, from Classical Latin rudīmentum (“first attempt; beginning”) + -ārius (adjectival suffix). Compare French rudimentaire.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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