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pivotal

American  
[piv-uh-tl] / ˈpɪv ə tl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or serving as a pivot.

  2. of vital or critical importance.

    a pivotal event.
pivotal British  
/ ˈpɪvətəl /

adjective

  1. of, involving, or acting as a pivot

  2. of crucial importance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • pivotally adverb

Etymology

Origin of pivotal

First recorded in 1835–45; pivot + -al 1

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 new CSU data come at a pivotal moment for AI in education.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

In between, a pivotal Supreme Court ruling against President Trump’s tariffs, and a broadening fear over AI’s disruption to key sectors, left few corners of the market untouched.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

By the time Coppola readied her pivotal first film, “The Virgin Suicides,” Jacobs was crowned the powerhouse creative director of Louis Vuitton, tasked with infusing a stale heritage luxury brand with youthful energy.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

“We want to own the stock over this pivotal time frame.”

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

There was no pivotal moment of creative difference, no storming or flouncing out.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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.