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Central vs Fundamental - What's the difference?

central | fundamental |

As adjectives the difference between central and fundamental

is that central is being in the centre 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 a noun 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.

central

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Being in the centre.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-27, volume=408, issue=8846, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Putting down roots , passage=The plantoid
  • Being the most important.
  • Having or containing the centre of something.
  • Being very important, or key to something.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=September 7, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Moldova 0-5 England , passage=Cleverley was a central figure as England took the lead inside three minutes. He saw his shot handled by Moldovan defender Simion Bulgaru and Lampard drilled home the penalty in trademark fashion.}}

    Derived terms

    * central bank * central heating * central locking * centralisation * centralise * centrally * centralness

    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