crucial

[kroo-shuhl]

adjective

1. involving an extremely important decision or result; decisive; critical.

   a crucial experiment.

   Synonyms: significant, essential, vital, momentous

2. severe; trying.

3. of the form of a cross; cross-shaped.

crucial

/ ˈkruːʃəl /

adjective

1. involving a final or supremely important decision or event; decisive; critical

2. informal,  very important

3. slang,  very good

Other Word Forms

• crucially adverb
• cruciality noun
• noncrucial adjective
• noncrucially adverb
• precrucial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crucial¹

First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin cruci- (stem of crux cross ( def. ) ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of crucial¹

C18: from French, from Latin crux _cross

Example Sentences

China currently dominates the supply chain for the rare-earth materials often used in magnets and crucial components of everything from electric vehicles to F-35 warplanes.

Read more on Barron's

As such, the King and Queen's visit will "strengthen the UK's relationship with this crucial and influential partner", she said.

Read more on BBC

The AMI observations, led by the Hebrew University team, were crucial in revealing the unusually rapid evolution of the radio emission -- a hallmark of this event and a major clue to understanding its physical nature.

Read more on Science Daily

China has a near-monopoly in the processing of rare earths - crucial for the production of everything from smartphones to fighter jets.

Read more on BBC

A small agency would keep track of crucial data like the Nation’s Report Card, and employees would focus primarily on distributing grants to low-income students, who could apply them to any accredited college.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• central 
• compelling 
• deciding 
• decisive 
• essential 
• imperative 
• momentous 
• necessary 
• pivotal 
• pressing 
• touchy 
• urgent 
• vital 

When To Use

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.