# elementary

/ˌɛɫəˈmɛntɝɹi/ (US) · /ˌɛlɪmˈɛntəɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/elementary
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. basic or fundamental

adjective · CEFR B1

relating to the most basic or important parts of a subject.

For teachers: pertaining to the fundamental or essential aspects of a system or field of study.

- The course covers the elementary principles of economics for new students.
- A thorough understanding of these elementary concepts is vital before moving on to the more nuanced theories of quantum mechanics.

### 2. very simple

adjective · CEFR B2

very easy to do or understand.

For teachers: straightforward and requiring only basic skills or knowledge to resolve.

- The mistake was so elementary that even a beginner would have noticed it.
- The detective dismissed the clue as an elementary attempt to mislead the investigation, noting its lack of sophistication.

### 3. relating to primary school

adjective · CEFR B1 · American English

relating to the first years of a child's education.

For teachers: pertaining to the initial stages of formal education, typically for children between the ages of five and eleven.

- She has been an elementary school teacher for over twenty years.
- The district is proposing a significant increase in funding for elementary education to reduce average class sizes in the early grades.

### 4. scientific building blocks

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing the simplest parts of matter that cannot be broken down further.

For teachers: relating to or being an irreducible constituent of a physical system, such as a chemical element or a subatomic particle.

- An electron is an elementary particle because it is not made of smaller parts.
- The laboratory focuses on the interactions between elementary particles, seeking to understand the forces that govern the subatomic world.

## Examples

- The teacher explains the elementary rules of grammar to the new students.
- Solving the first puzzle was elementary, but the later levels required much more focus and strategy.
- While the initial calculations appeared elementary to the senior engineers, the junior staff struggled to grasp the underlying principles governing the structural integrity of the bridge.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.