[ru.di.men.ta.ry] adj (1839) 1: consisting in first principles: fundamental "had only a ~ formal education --D. J. Boorstin"
2: of a primitive kind "the equipment of these past empire-builders was ~ --A. J. Toynbee"
3: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige "the ~ tail of a hyrax" -- ru.di.men.tar.i.ly adv -- ru.di.men.ta.ri.ness n