elementary

/ˌɛləˈmɛntəri/
noun
  1. A school for the first years of a child's education; elementary school.
    • She taught at an elementary in a rural district for twenty years.
    • Both of my kids attend the same elementary on Maple Street.
    • The new elementary opened in our neighborhood last year.
adjective
  1. Relating to the basic or simplest parts of a subject; easy or simple.
    • The teacher explained the elementary rules of grammar to the class.
    • She took an elementary course in Spanish to learn the basics.
    • This math problem is elementary; even a beginner can solve it.
  2. Relating to the first years of school, usually for children aged 5 to 11.
    • The elementary students put on a play for their parents.
    • My daughter just started elementary school this fall.
    • He works as a music teacher at an elementary school in Chicago.
  3. Involving the simplest and most fundamental principles of a science or art.
    • The book covers elementary chemistry concepts like atoms and molecules.
    • She learned elementary drawing techniques before attempting complex portraits.
    • Understanding elementary physics helps explain how a bicycle works.