pivotal
Americanadjective
-
of, involving, or acting as a pivot
-
of crucial importance
Other Word Forms
- pivotally adverb
Etymology
Origin of pivotal
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.
But at the pivotal moment, Mullins rose up and swished the game-winner from 35 feet away.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 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
These are just regular Cubans, some of whom have been pivotal in scientific achievements in Cuba.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
“Tesla is entering a pivotal time over the next 18 months as it scales Robotaxi service with a soon-to-be introduced Cybercab at the same time as ramping mass production of its Optimus humanoid,” he wrote.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
A few days ago, when I was communing with the orrery, I was trying so hard to find the single pivotal moment that set my life on its path.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
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.
