crucial
Americanadjective
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involving an extremely important decision or result; decisive; critical.
a crucial experiment.
- Synonyms:
- significant, essential, vital, momentous
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severe; trying.
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of the form of a cross; cross-shaped.
adjective
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involving a final or supremely important decision or event; decisive; critical
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informal very important
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slang very good
Usage
What does crucial mean? Crucial means extremely important or involving an extremely important decision or course of action. Close synonyms are critical and decisive.The word crucial is usually used to describe pivotal moments, choices, or actions that will affect everything that follows, as in We’re at a crucial point in the process—we need to make some big decisions. Sometimes, crucial is simply used to describe something that’s extremely important, as in Getting enough sleep is crucial for staying healthy. Example: I can’t express how absolutely crucial it is to surround yourself with the right friends.
Other Word Forms
- cruciality noun
- crucially adverb
- noncrucial adjective
- noncrucially adverb
- precrucial adjective
Etymology
Origin of crucial
First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin cruci- (stem of crux cross ( def. ) ) + -al 1 ( def. )
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.
Other products, including jet fuel and fertilizer, also pass through the strait, crucial for the travel industry and food supplies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
The US president is due to travel to Beijing in mid-May to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, in a crucial summit between the two superpowers.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Researchers believe the exaggerated length of the male palps may serve a crucial survival function.
From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026
Meanwhile, Wall Street has been reading local dispatches from Citrini Research regarding the Strait of Hormuz in hopes of gaining more insight about activity in the crucial waterway.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
Not to mention, this was crucial information for them if they were going to find the Nightbeast.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
