Standard Lemma guide

urelement

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A mathematical object which is not a set but which can be an element of a set.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences, set-theory

Examples

  • 1996, Scientific Books staff (translators), Yuri L. Ershov, Definability and Computability, Scientific Books, page viii, The introduction of urelements would seem to be a technical improvement; however, now we know that just such an extension of the notion of the admissible set led to the universal theory of computability based on the notion of definability by formulas with (in a broad sense) effective semantics.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: atom

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From ur- (“primordial”) + element.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Icelandic: frumstak — mathematical object
  • Italian: urelemento — mathematical object
  • Polish: urelement — mathematical object