integral
adjective OPAL W
/ˈɪntɪɡrəl/, /ɪnˈteɡrəl/
/ˈɪntɪɡrəl/, /ɪnˈteɡrəl/
- being an essential part of something
- Music is an integral part of the school's curriculum.
- integral to something Practical experience is integral to the course.
- [usually before noun] included as part of something, rather than supplied separately
- The unit comes complete with integral pump and heater.
- [usually before noun] having all the parts that are necessary for something to be complete
- an integral system
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from late Latin integralis, from integer ‘whole’, from in- (expressing negation) + the root of tangere ‘to touch’. Compare with integrate and integrity.