rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrü-də-ˈmen-tə-rē 
-ˈmen-trē
1
: consisting in first principles : fundamental
had only a rudimentary formal education—
D. J. Boorstin
D. J. Boorstin2
: of a primitive kind
the equipment of these past empire-builders was rudimentary—A. J. Toynbee
A. J. Toynbee3
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
the rudimentary tail of a hyrax
Examples of rudimentary in a Sentence
Because now, every schlemiel with a pair of mirrored sunglasses and a rudimentary grasp of the rules of poker thinks he can play cards with the pros.
—A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
Recent Examples on the Web
Advertisement Teoscar Hernández, a fellow free-agent signing in his first year with the Dodgers, was among the first to develop a bond with Ohtani, giving him rudimentary lessons in his primary language, Spanish, while Ohtani taught him some basic Japanese.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Each appears highly technical, but the machinery that animates the artwork is nothing more than sophisticated applications of rudimentary elements like lenses, mirrors and light.
—Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024
The primitive, almost rudimentary controls brought me straight back to an era before big power and traction control, refined suspension setups or even assisted steering made sports cars so impressive.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Check out the new record-breaking show, complete with rudimentary motion graphics, soaring rainbow birds, thunderbolts crashing down from heaven, a wild 3D drone mothership, complete with screens on the sides, and a stunning 3D representation of the city of Shenzhen itself.
—New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rudimentary 
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Each appears highly technical, but the machinery that animates the artwork is nothing more than sophisticated applications of rudimentary elements like lenses, mirrors and light.
—Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024
The primitive, almost rudimentary controls brought me straight back to an era before big power and traction control, refined suspension setups or even assisted steering made sports cars so impressive.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Check out the new record-breaking show, complete with rudimentary motion graphics, soaring rainbow birds, thunderbolts crashing down from heaven, a wild 3D drone mothership, complete with screens on the sides, and a stunning 3D representation of the city of Shenzhen itself.
—New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rudimentary
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rudimentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rudimentary
Cite this Entry
“Rudimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudimentary. Accessed 18 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē
-ˈmen-trē
2
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a small part compared to the fully developed form
a rudimentary tail
Medical Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
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