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 results come at a pivotal time for Alibaba, which has been sharpening its focus on AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
They have still got some fantastic forward players too, but Rodri leaving is massive because we know how pivotal he has been at the club.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Dodgers needed a pivotal win on home soil against the Brewers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
UEFA's threat to boycott World Cups if the private investment plan went ahead proved pivotal in Infantino withdrawing his sell-off plan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
This event proved a pivotal point in my life and in my church, and in the nation as well.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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.
