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.
Conservationists say restoring milk parsley is a crucial first step in bringing back the swallowtail, because without it the butterflies cannot breed.
From BBC
A surge of water over six stories tall washes away the Sangkalang suspension bridge, a crucial link over the Teesta River, and one of more than 30 bridges that were destroyed.
India's 16th census - the eighth since independence in 1947 - will also include caste data and is seen as crucial for policy, welfare delivery and political representation in the world's most populous country.
From BBC
Remittances are just as crucial for Bangladesh - most of its 14 million migrant workers are in the Middle East.
From BBC
Additionally, China and Pakistan proposed a five-point plan to end the hostilities and restore traffic through the strait, a crucial waterway for about 20% of the world’s crude oil.
From MarketWatch
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.
