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Preliminary vs Fundamental - What's the difference?

preliminary | fundamental |

As adjectives the difference between preliminary and fundamental

is that preliminary is in preparation for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory while fundamental is pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation hence: essential, as an element, principle, or law; important; original; elementary.

As nouns the difference between preliminary and fundamental

is that preliminary is a preparation for a main matter; an introduction while fundamental is a leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article, which serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part, as, the fundamentals of linear algebra.

preliminary

Alternative forms

* (archaic)

Adjective

(-)
  • in preparation for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory
  • These are just the preliminary results.
  • *
  • And then, after a few preliminary tries, the whole farm burst out into 'Beasts of England' in tremendous unison.

    Antonyms

    * definitive, final

    Derived terms

    * preliminarily * preliminary results * preliminary considerations

    Noun

    (preliminaries)
  • A preparation for a main matter; an introduction
  • Any of a series of sports events that determine the finalists
  • A relatively minor contest that precedes a major one, especially in boxing
  • fundamental

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article, which serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part, as, the fundamentals of linear algebra.
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Pertaining to the foundation or basis; serving for the foundation. Hence: Essential, as an element, principle, or law; important; original; elementary.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
  • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […]  But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.}}

    Derived terms

    * fundamentalism * fundamentalist * fundamentality * fundamentally * fundamentalness * fundamental analysis

    Synonyms

    * * See also