Integral
Essential; necessary to complete or form a whole.
adjectiveIntegral
Essential; necessary to complete or form a whole.
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Imagine This
Picture a puzzle where one central piece holds the whole picture together; without it, the image is incomplete.
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Sounds Like
IN-tuh-gruhl
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Looks Like
Looks like 'integrate' and 'integer'; the root relates to wholeness and completeness. The math symbol ∫ is associated with this word.
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Remember This
From Latin integer meaning 'whole'; the word emphasizes wholeness and indispensability.
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Other Forms
integrationnoun
integrateverb
integratingverb
integralnoun
integrableadjective
integrallyadverb
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Connect With
essential, crucial, vital, fundamental, indispensable
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Note
In everyday use, integral means essential, not merely important. In math, it also denotes a type of function related to accumulation. Don’t confuse with 'integrable' (able to be integrated) or 'integration' (the process).