rudimentary
adj.very basic or simple. You use this to describe something that is not fully developed or only covers the most important parts.
adj.relating to an immature, undeveloped, or basic form. Often describes skills, knowledge, or biological structures that are in an early stage of evolution or development.
“He only has a rudimentary knowledge of French.”
“The early settlers built rudimentary shelters using only the branches and mud they found nearby.”
“While the species exhibits rudimentary social behaviors, it lacks the complex hierarchical structures observed in more advanced primates.”
Typically used to describe systems, skills, or physical structures; often carries a slightly negative tone if more complexity is expected.
“But these puzzles, like the platforming, are somewhat rudimentary, causing you to only briefly pause and ponder without ever yielding oh-so-satisfying “aha” moments.”
“Artists likely visited the cave many times between 13,000 and 41,000 years ago, with only torches and rudimentary lamps to help them avoid dangerous falls and cave bears with claws capable of lacerating stone.”
From rudiment + -ary.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.