English vocabulary · B2
Rudimentary
/ˌruː.dɪˈmen.tər.i/ · adj.
It means very basic and not fully developed.
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Example sentences
- My Spanish is rudimentary, but I can order food.
- The app has only rudimentary features so far.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- rudi — rough (from Latin)
- ment — formed (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- basic (covering only foundational elements)
- primitive (using the earliest or simplest form)
- simple (stripped of all complexity)
Words with the same root
rudis — rough
- rude — rough in manners — unpolished in behavior
- rudiment — the first basic stage of something — the rough beginning
Lesson notes
Rudimentary. It means very basic and not fully developed. Just the first rough form of something.
Similar words are basic, primitive, and simple. Use rudimentary when something is at the very first stage and not yet fully built.
My Spanish is rudimentary, but I can order food. The app has only rudimentary features so far.
From Latin. Rudi means rough. Something rough and not yet formed — just the bare start. That is rudimentary.