[summary: A prime element of a ring is one such that, if it divides a product, then it divides (at least) one of the terms of the product.]
[summary(Technical): Let be a ring which is an integral domain. We say is prime if, whenever , it is the case that either or (or both).]
An element of an Integral domain is prime if it has the property that implies or . Equivalently, if its generated [ideal_ring_theory ideal] is [prime_ideal prime] in the sense that implies either or is in .
Be aware that "prime" in ring theory does not correspond exactly to "prime" in number theory (the correct abstraction of which is irreducibility). It is the case that they are the same concept in the ring of integers (proof), but this is a nontrivial property that turns out to be equivalent to the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic ([alternative_condition_for_ufd proof]).