fundamentally significant

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fundamentally significant" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is essential or of great importance at a basic level. Example: "The research findings are fundamentally significant for understanding climate change and its impacts on global ecosystems."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

And it seems clear to me that these little varietals of voice and lifestyle (bad word, but I can't think of another) are fundamentally significant.

The New Yorker

The phenomenon was fundamentally significant in the development of modern physics because of the puzzling questions it raised about the nature of light particle versus wavelike behaviour that were finally resolved by Albert Einstein in 1905.

Encyclopedia Britannica

According to Durkheim, totemism was fundamentally significant (he wrongly supposed it to be virtually universal), and in this he shared the view of some other 19th-century savants, notably Salomon Reinach (1858 1932) and Robertson Smith (1846 94), not to mention Sigmund Freud (1856 1939).

Encyclopedia Britannica

Art, according to Rand, constitutes a selective, stylized re-creation of reality, with the principle of selection being the artist's "sense of life," a set of implicit "metaphysical value-judgments," i.e., judgments about what is fundamentally significant about the world and our place in it.

SEP

He also introduced and saw enacted legislation to create the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, the first federal action formally recognizing the fundamentally significant role the people of the Hudson Valley played in the early development of America and its institutions.

Huffington Post

The mechanisms that decipher the protein folding status and orchestrate a coordinated downstream response, either adaptation or apoptosis, are fundamentally significant, unknown, and require further investigation.

Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

More fundamentally, any significant change in our remit - especially in a highly politically sensitive area such as this - would again require clear cross-party support if it was not to risk calling the legitimacy and independence of the OBR into question.

The Guardian - Business

High quality, robust, and heterogeneously diverse public data sets are so fundamental to Intrusion Detection experimentation and research that the availability of such data sets is fundamentally a significant research problem in its own right.

Journal of Big Data

More fundamentally, before committing significant time and resources to the development of a detailed model, it is necessary to know whether a conceptual storage system design is viable.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

"The project is extremely significant — and fundamentally political," said Julian Lee, a senior analyst with the Center for Global Energy Studies, a London-based research group.

The New York Times

However, the Maliki government believes the tribal awakenings and CLC militias are a direct challenge to its authority, and it is fundamentally opposed to their significant incorporation into the ISF.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fundamentally significant" to underscore that something is not just important, but critical at its core. For example, say: "The design of the user interface is "fundamentally significant" to the success of the application".

Common error

Avoid using "fundamentally significant" for minor issues. Reserve it for situations where the core nature of something is significantly impacted. Overuse can dilute its impact and make your writing sound hyperbolic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fundamentally significant" functions as an adjective phrase. Ludwig shows it modifies nouns, emphasizing the essential or foundational importance of the described entity. The phrase underlines that the significance stems from the core nature of the subject.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

36%

Encyclopedias

21%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fundamentally significant" is a phrase used to emphasize the deep and intrinsic importance of something. Ludwig's analysis indicates it is grammatically correct and more common in scientific, news, and encyclopedic contexts. The phrase highlights aspects that are essential for understanding or achieving a specific outcome and, as Ludwig confirms, is a proper and useful English expression. The term is best reserved for situations where a core element has major importance, avoiding overuse in general contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

profoundly significant

Replaces "fundamentally" with "profoundly", emphasizing depth and impact rather than the foundational aspect.

essentially important

Substitutes "significant" with "important" and "fundamentally" with "essentially", focusing on the crucial nature.

intrinsically important

Replaces "fundamentally" with "intrinsically", indicating inherent value and significance.

critically important

Replaces "fundamentally significant" to emphasize the critical nature of something.

decisively important

Replaces "fundamentally" and "significant" focusing on the conclusive or determining nature of its importance.

vitally important

Replaces "fundamentally significant" to convey something is of the utmost importance for life or success.

inherently significant

Replaces "fundamentally" with "inherently", emphasizing the built-in or natural significance.

ultimately important

Replaces "fundamentally significant" with a term that emphasizes the end or final importance.

cardinally important

Replaces "fundamentally" with "cardinally", highlighting the importance as a basic premise.

centrally important

Replaces "fundamentally significant" stressing that it is positioned at the centre.

FAQs

What does "fundamentally significant" mean?

The phrase "fundamentally significant" describes something that is essential or of great importance at a basic, foundational level.

How can I use "fundamentally significant" in a sentence?

You can use "fundamentally significant" to emphasize the core importance of something. For example: "The new discovery is "fundamentally significant" for our understanding of the universe."

What are some alternatives to "fundamentally significant"?

Alternatives include "profoundly significant", "essentially important", or "critically important". Choose the alternative that best fits the specific context.

Is "fundamentally significant" formal or informal?

"Fundamentally significant" is appropriate for formal and academic writing. While understandable in informal contexts, alternatives might be more suitable.