Basic fault regularly found on copper for example (9)
I believe the answer is:
elemental
'basic' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'fault regularly found on copper for example' is the wordplay.
'regularly' means one should take alternating letters (regularly take one letter, leave next etc.).
'found on' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'copper for example' becomes 'element' (copper is a chemical element).
The alternating letters of 'fault' are 'al'.
'al' after 'element' is 'ELEMENTAL'.
(Other definitions for elemental that I've seen before include "radical" , "Rising trend" , "of fire, say" , "Let me lean like forces of nature" , "Related to the powers of nature" .)