Definition of RUDIMENTARY (original) (raw)
2
: of a primitive kind
the equipment of these past empire-builders was rudimentary—
A. J. Toynbee
3
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
the rudimentary tail of a hyrax
Synonyms
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The nonsensical story, intentionally rudimentary special effects, and colorful visuals make House a perfect movie to watch on mute at a bar. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024 Some characters observe paper cutouts against moving backdrops via magnifying glass, creating their own rudimentary 3D in the process, at a time when cinema was in its infancy. —Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024 The young boy’s father replaced his son’s rudimentary mammal book with a more comprehensive tome by J.G. Wood, an English author of popular volumes on natural history. —Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Oct. 2024 The researchers noted that a rudimentary way to perform meta-reasoning in this sphere would be to simply aggregate the answers, rather than try to analyze the respective chains. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rudimentary 
Word History
First Known Use
1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of rudimentary was in 1619
Dictionary Entries Near rudimentary
Cite this Entry
“Rudimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudimentary. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on rudimentary
Last Updated: 12 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!