pivotal
Americanadjective
-
of, involving, or acting as a pivot
-
of crucial importance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pivotal
Explanation
High school graduation is a pivotal moment in most people's lives — an important point that signifies a shift in direction. You see the word pivot in pivotal. That is because when something is pivotal, it is central, and everything related to the topic turns or depends on it. An election can be a pivotal moment in a nation's history if the direction the country takes depends on it. Your belief in reincarnation may be pivotal to how you treat animals. Pivotal means important, but it has the sense of centrality and turning.
Vocabulary lists containing pivotal
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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This Week in Words: September 25 - October 1, 2017
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The timing of the album’s release is also pivotal to its history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The country is a pivotal exporter to the global AI supply chain due to its strong manufacturing capability and cost competitiveness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
But what Fred and his Polish compatriots were doing, both before the war and during it, was pivotal in the Allied war effort.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Having sparked their 2-0 win at Sunderland in September with the crucial first goal, the £75m summer signing came off the bench again to have a pivotal impact against Leeds on Saturday.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
It turned out that Evan Parker, and his strict mom, and his nonexistent finances culminated in some of my most pivotal memories from high school.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
