Integral
/ˈɪn.tə.ɡrəl/noun
Necessary to make something complete; relating to a whole or essential part of it.
Did you know?Integral comes through Latin from the same root as integer, and originally meant “whole” or “untouched,” a meaning that later fed directly into mathematics’ idea of whole numbers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tag-
“to touch, handle”
Latin
Latin
integer
“untouched, whole, entire”
Late Latin
Latin
integralis
“pertaining to a whole; complete”
14th Century
English
integral
“whole, complete; necessary to completeness”
Modern English
English
integral
“essential, forming a necessary part of a whole”