vital
Americanadjective
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of or relating to life.
vital processes.
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having remarkable energy, liveliness, or force of personality.
a vital leader.
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being the seat or source of life.
the vital organs.
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necessary to life.
vital fluids.
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necessary to the existence, continuance, or well-being of something; indispensable; essential.
vital for a healthy society.
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affecting the existence, well-being, truth, etc., of something.
a vital error.
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of critical importance.
vital decisions.
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destructive to life; deadly.
a vital wound.
adjective
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essential to maintain life
the lungs perform a vital function
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forceful, energetic, or lively
a vital person
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of, relating to, having, or displaying life
a vital organism
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indispensable or essential
books vital to this study
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of great importance; decisive
a vital game
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archaic influencing the course of life, esp negatively
a vital treachery
noun
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(plural)
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the bodily organs, such as the brain, liver, heart, lungs, etc, that are necessary to maintain life
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the organs of reproduction, esp the male genitals
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(plural) the essential elements of anything
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vital
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin vītālis, equivalent to vīt(a) “life” (derivative of vīvere “to live”; akin to Greek bioûn, Sanskrit jīvati “(he) lives,” English quick ( def. ) ) + -ālis -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
A patient's vital signs are their important body functions, such as pulse rate, that shows they are still alive. Use the adjective vital to describe something that is important and necessary, or a person full of energy. Vital descends from Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vītālis, from vīta, "life." If you are vital to the organization you work for, it means they cannot live without you — or at least that you're an important part of the team. If you're a vital force in your church volunteer group, you probably are a leader with lots of energy to give.
Vocabulary lists containing vital
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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List 7
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
"Jackdaw will play a vital part of this winter's gas supply," he added, providing energy security, employment and taxation to the UK.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
While money numbers rise and arms contracts pile up, European militaries still lack vital capabilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
“But we are not looking at only one, we are looking at all three, because we cannot leave any stone unturned if we want to survive and continue to provide our vital public service.”
From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026
The US military said it had struck over 80 targets including Iranian speedboats in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026
She wanted him to have a European experience and sharpen his use of foreign languages, which she kept insisting was so vital for his education.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
