Definition of INTEGRAL (original) (raw)

: essential to completeness : constituent

an integral part of the curriculum

b(1)

: being, containing, or relating to one or more mathematical integers

(2)

: relating to or concerned with mathematical integration or the results of mathematical integration

: formed as a unit with another part

a seat with integral headrest

: lacking nothing essential : entire

Synonyms

Examples of integral in a Sentence

Adjective

I do know that shoot-'em-ups (and saw-'em-ups) are likely to remain part of our lives, and that suggests a depressing idea: Maybe the love of violence is an integral part of human nature … —Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Oct. 2007 Stuffed with peanut butter, celery is the quintessential after-school snack; diced, it provides an essential crunch to chicken and potato salads; buttered up, it is an integral part of Thanksgiving stuffing. —Sara Dickerman, New York Times Magazine, 3 Sept. 2006 Sitting out on the grass … watching the freight trains roll by on the levee at two in the morning, drinking a beer and listening to the music drifting out of the club, is an integral part of the whole experience. —Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters, 2005

She had become an integral part of their lives. a car dealer respected for his integral honesty and straightforwardness with customers Noun

The main tools used in the study of these functions are those we have already discussed: representation as integrals, power-series expansions, and differential equations. —Robert S. Strichartz, The Way of Analysis, 2000

Recent Examples on the Web

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Just in time for Black History Month, Broadway’s first permanent museum has a special exhibit focusing on Black creatives who have played an integral part in its success. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025 The labor market remains an integral part of overall economic sentiment, so this shift may reflect a broader re-evaluation of confidence in job stability and opportunities. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 29 Jan. 2025

Mathematicians were forced to follow in Weierstrass’ footsteps, further sharpening their definition of functions, their understanding of the relationship between continuity and differentiability, and their methods for computing derivatives and integrals. —Solomon Adams, Quanta Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025 The idea is that all mathematical results—whether 1 + 1 = 2 or a complicated _integral_—can derive from a common foundation. —Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for integral