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Elementary vs Elemental - What's the difference?

elementary | elemental |

As adjectives the difference between elementary and elemental

is that elementary is relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something while elemental is of, relating to, or being an element (as opposed to a compound.

As a noun elemental is

a creature (usually a spirit) that is attuned with, or composed of, one of the classical elements: air, earth, fire and water. They sometimes have unique proper names and sometimes are referred to as Air, Earth, Fire, or Water.

elementary

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something.
  • Relating to an elementary school.
  • (physics) Relating to a subatomic particle.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-03
  • , author=(Jeremy Bernstein) , title=A Palette of Particles , volume=100, issue=2, page=146 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.}}
  • (archaic) Sublunary; not celestial; belonging to the sublunary sphere, to which the four classical elements (earth, air, fire and water) were confined; composed of or pertaining to these four elements.
  • References

    *

    elemental

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (chemistry) of, relating to, or being an element (as opposed to a compound)
  • basic, fundamental or elementary
  • of the ancient supposed elements of earth, air, fire and water
  • (by extension) of, or relating to a force or nature, especially to severe atmospheric conditions
  • Noun

    (elementals) (en noun)
  • (fantasy) A creature (usually a spirit) that is attuned with, or composed of, one of the classical elements: air, earth, fire and water. They sometimes have unique proper names and sometimes are referred to as Air, Earth, Fire, or Water.