From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishelementaryel‧e‧men‧ta‧ry /ˌeləˈmentəri◂/ ●●○ adjective 1 SIMPLE/NOT COMPLICATEDsimple or basic the elementary principles of justice and democracy You’ve made a very elementary mistake.2 [only before noun]BEGINNING concerning the first and easiest part of a subject → intermediate, advanced I’m only familiar with the subject at an elementary level. I know a little elementary science.3 [only before noun] American EnglishSES relating to elementary school SYN primary British English elementary education4 → Elementary, my dear Watson.
Examples from the Corpus
elementary• Billy is taking elementary algebra this year.• Thom identifies seven elementary catastrophes as the only possible results when not more than four control factors are present.• In many elementary classrooms there is a good deal of affection for children and various opportunities for active, hands-on learning.• an elementary course in word-processing• The 1988 Education Reform Act ought to mark the end of elementary education for the under-11s.• elementary education• So the question is: What are the truly elementary particles, the basic building blocks from which everything is made?• How powerful this explosion would be would depend on how many different species of elementary particles there are.• The right to defend itself is an elementary right of every state.• She had difficulty with even the most elementary tasks.• Most were given elementary training in another technical skill to facilitate harmony and cross-utilization.elementary education• Hence there was an extension of the powers of local government and the state intervened after 1870 to provide universal elementary education.• It is no use trying to give technical teaching to our artisans without elementary education ...• They spend six years in elementary education and three years in junior high school.• There was universal elementary education in Britain - a century behind Prussia, and three behind Saxony.• The specialists in elementary education meanwhile focus their attention on the methods and materials appropriate to elementary years.• In Brown v. Board of Education, which dealt specifically with elementary education, the Court took the final logical step.• Then, at last, elementary education will dies.• There was no association of elementary education with a prescribed period of childhood. 