rudiment
Meaning: The most basic or elementary principles of a subject, skill, or field of knowledge; the essential foundations upon which deeper understanding is built.
Rudiment is almost always used in the plural — 'the rudiments of' — to mean the fundamentals that one must grasp before progressing further. It appears in educational, musical, and military contexts particularly. In biology, a rudiment can also refer to an undeveloped or vestigial organ. The adjective 'rudimentary' (basic, undeveloped) is more common in everyday usage. Collocations include 'the rudiments of grammar,' 'rudiments of the craft,' and 'learn the rudiments.'
Examples
- Every trainee solicitor must first master the rudiments of contract law. 每位实习律师都必须首先掌握合同法的基本原理。Todo abogado en prácticas debe dominar primero los rudimentos del derecho contractual.すべての研修弁護士は、まず契約法の基本原則を修得しなければならない。모든 수습 변호사는 먼저 계약법의 기본 원리를 숙달해야 한다.
- The course covers the rudiments of statistical analysis before moving to advanced modelling techniques. 该课程先讲授统计分析的基础知识,然后再进入高级建模技术。El curso cubre los rudimentos del análisis estadístico antes de pasar a las técnicas avanzadas de modelización.その講座は高度なモデリング技法に移る前に、統計分析の基礎を学ぶ。이 강좌는 고급 모델링 기법으로 넘어가기 전에 통계 분석의 기초를 다룬다.
- He had barely grasped the rudiments of the language when he was posted to the embassy. 他被派往大使馆时,对那门语言的基础知识还几乎一窍不通。Apenas había asimilado los rudimentos del idioma cuando fue destinado a la embajada.彼は大使館に赴任した時点で、その言語の基礎をかろうじて理解した程度であった。그는 대사관에 부임했을 때 그 언어의 기초를 겨우 이해한 수준이었다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, education, professional
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin rudimentum (a first attempt, beginning), from rudis (rough, unformed, ignorant). Entered English in the mid-16th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from General Advanced
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free