Word.ws English Dictionary

elements

Syllables: el·e·mentsUK/ˈɛlɪmənts//ˈɛləmənts/

elements is the plural of element.

Noun

elements pl (plural only)

  1. (plural, plural-only) The weather, such as wind or rain; environmental conditions considered as a source of danger, wear, etc.
    • This artifact was found deep in a cave where it was protected from the elements.
    • Shelter from the elements is a basic survival need for humans.
  2. (plural, plural-only) The basic tenets of an area of knowledge, basics, fundamentals.
  3. (plural, plural-only) The bread and wine of the Eucharist.

Meaning of element

Noun

element (plural elements)

  1. One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.
    • Letters are the elements of written language.
    1. Any one of the types of atom distinguished by having a certain number of protons in its nucleus.
      • Hydrogen is the first element in the periodic table. It is the simplest possible atom composed of one proton in the nucleus which is orbited by a single electron.2013, “Elements for Kids — Hydrogen”, in www.duckster.com, archived from the original on 15 Jul 2013
    2. A chemical substance made entirely of one such type of atom; any one of the simplest chemical substances that cannot be decomposed in a chemical reaction or by any chemical means and made up of atoms all having the same number of protons.
    3. One of the four basic building blocks of matter in theories of ancient philosophers and alchemists: water, earth, fire, and air.
      • The she asked the elements to send their spirits to her.1965, Attila Zohar, Kings Cross Black Magic, Sydney: Horwitz Publications, page 59
    4. (plural-normally) A basic, simple substance out of which something is made, raw material.
      • Thus ſhall my heart be ſtil combinde with thine,
        Untill our bodies turne to Elements:
        And both our ſoules aſpire celeſtiall thrones.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
    5. A required aspect or component of a cause of action. A deed is regarded as a violation of law only if each element can be proved.

See all 25 meanings of element

Phrases with elements

34 more phrasesFewer phrases

Questions about elements

What does elements mean?
Elements means the weather, such as wind or rain; environmental conditions considered as a source of danger, wear, etc.
What is elements the plural of?
Elements is the plural of element.
What part of speech is elements?
Elements is a noun.
How do you pronounce elements?
Elements is pronounced /ˈɛlɪmənts/ (UK).

Words near elements in the dictionary

  1. elementism
  2. elementisms
  3. elementoid
  4. elementological
  5. elementology
  6. elements
  7. elements of surprise
  8. elementwise
  9. elemi
  10. elemicin
  11. elemin

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: elements (page history and authors); element (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-elements.ogg.

Cite this entry: “elements.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/elements. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.