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 observatory and its network of telescopes have been pivotal to the country's study of distant galaxies and training future astronomers.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Douglass may not have held a role as a judge, legislator, or even enfranchised citizen, yet he nonetheless played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s understanding of equal citizenship in the Civil War era.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
“I was like, ‘That scene in Season 1 with them is so pivotal to the story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The European Space Agency launched the Euclid space telescope in 2023 to investigate the universe during this pivotal era.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
Fischer and Geller were to meet in the twelfth round in a pivotal matchup.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions 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.
