Rudimentary

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɹuːdɪˈmɛntəɹi/

Definitions

1. Describing something that is in an early or incomplete stage of development, showing only the simplest characteristics
2. Indicating a fundamental or primitive level of structure or knowledge that lacks complexity or refinement
3. Referring to the simplest or most elementary form of something ; representing an early or undeveloped stage that lacks complexity

Etymology: Latin "rudis" meant "rough" or "unskilled," and it was the root of "rudimentum," which meant a "first attempt" or "beginning." Early users of "rudiment" in English kept that sense of something at its starting stage, a first try rather than a finished thing. The Latin noun passed into English through Old French "rudiment," and "rudimentary" was formed by adding the suffix "-ary," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "characterised by." The adjective therefore describes something that is still in its early, unpolished state. The adjective's most direct ancestor is probably New Latin "rudimentārius," built from "rudīmentum" and the Latin adjectival suffix "-ārius," though the English form may have been formed directly from "rudiment" and "-ary." Its French counterpart "rudimentaire" shows the same pattern, so the word was shaped similarly across both languages.

Synonyms: basic, elementary

Antonyms: advanced, complex