Integral — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈin-ti-grəl/ in·te·gral

Meaning & Definition of Integral

Integral (adjective)

  1. essential to completeness, constituent
  2. being, containing, or relating to one or more mathematical integers
  3. relating to or concerned with mathematical integration or the results of mathematical integration

Integral (noun)

  1. the result of a mathematical integration

Integral (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing

    "a car dealer respected for his integral honesty and straightforwardness with customers"

    similar: built-in, constitutional, constitutive, essential, hardwired, immanent, inborn, inbred, indigenous, ingrain, ingrained, inherent, innate, intrinsic, native, natural, in one's blood
    related: basic, deep-rooted, elemental, fundamental, congenital, hereditary, inherited, inmost, inner, interior, internal, characteristic, distinctive, peculiar, habitual, inveterate, normal, regular, typical
    opposite: adventitious, extraneous, extrinsic
    near: alien, foreign, accidental, coincidental, incidental, acquired, adscititious, superficial, surface, exterior, external

  2. impossible to do without

    "she's an integral member of the team of archaeologists at that dig"

    similar: all-important, critical, essential, imperative, indispensable, must-have, necessary, necessitous, needed, needful, required, requisite, vital, of the essence
    related: prerequisite, compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, obligatory, consequential, crucial, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, weighty, basic, central, fundamental, key, organic, insistent, persistent, pressing, urgent
    opposite: dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded
    near: undesired, unwanted, inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, excess, external, extra, extraneous, superfluous, surplus

  3. not lacking any part or member that properly belongs to it

    "a prep school that adheres to the belief that athletics are essential to an integral life"

    similar: compleat, complete, comprehensive, entire, full, grand, intact, perfect, plenary, total, whole
    related: unabridged, uncut, undiminished, all-out, exhaustive, extensive, maximal, full-blooded, full-blown, full-bore, full-fledged, full-on, full-out, full-scale
    opposite: imperfect, incomplete, partial
    near: abbreviated, abridged, cut, diminished, reduced

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Integral

The most common words with a similar meaning to Integral:

built-in, constitutional, constitutive, essential, hardwired, immanent, inborn, inbred, indigenous, ingrain, ingrained, inherent, innate, intrinsic, native, natural, all-important, critical, imperative, indispensable, must-have, necessary, necessitous, needed, needful, required, requisite, vital, compleat, complete, comprehensive, entire, full, grand, intact, perfect, plenary, total, whole, in one's blood

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Integral

Words with the opposite meaning of Integral:

adventitious, extraneous, extrinsic, dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded, imperfect, incomplete, partial

Related Words for Integral

basic, deep-rooted, elemental, fundamental, congenital, hereditary, inherited, inmost, inner, interior, internal, characteristic, distinctive, peculiar, habitual, inveterate, normal, regular, typical, prerequisite, compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, obligatory, consequential, crucial, important, major, material, meaningful

Near Antonyms of Integral

alien, foreign, accidental, coincidental, incidental, acquired, adscititious, superficial, surface, exterior, external, undesired, unwanted, inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, excess, extra, superfluous, surplus, abbreviated, abridged, cut, diminished, reduced

Word Forms of Integral

Derived words: integrality (noun), integrally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Integral

First known use: 1551

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Integral

Words & Phrases Containing Integral

integral calculus, integral domain, definite integral, improper integral, indefinite integral, Riemann integral

Frequently Asked Questions about Integral

What does "Integral" mean?

"Integral" means essential to completeness, constituent. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: essential to completeness, constituent. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Integral"?

Other words for "Integral" include built-in, constitutional, constitutive, essential, hardwired, immanent, inborn and inbred. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Integral" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Integral"?

There are 96 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Integral". Common alternatives include built-in, constitutional, constitutive, essential, hardwired, immanent, inborn, inbred, indigenous and ingrain.

What is the opposite of "Integral"?

Antonyms of "Integral" include adventitious, extraneous, extrinsic, dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential and unessential. Near antonyms include alien, foreign, accidental and coincidental.

How do you use "Integral" in a sentence?

Examples of "Integral" in a sentence: "a car dealer respected for his integral honesty and straightforwardness with customers"; "she's an integral member of the team of archaeologists at that dig"; "a prep school that adheres to the belief that athletics are essential to an integral life".

Is "Integral" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Integral" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Integral" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Integral" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Integral"?

"Integral" is pronounced /ˈin-ti-grəl/ and divided into syllables as in·te·gral.