rudiment

Definition

A fundamental principle or skill, especially in a field of learning.

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin rudimentum (“a first attempt, a beginning”), plural rudimenta (“the elements”), from rudis (“rude”); see rude.

Example Sentences

• "We'll be learning the rudiments of thermodynamics next week."
• "This boy is forest-born, / And hath been tutored in the rudiments / Of many desperate studies."
• "The very emphasis on reading readiness and on the methods employed to teach children the rudiments of reading has meant that the other, the higher, levels of reading have tended to be slighted."

Related Words