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
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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.
Red Sea access has become vital for Saudi Arabia to keep shipping oil as traffic in Hormuz is disrupted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Chinese officials called in tech companies—sometimes weekly—to evaluate how vital the H200 truly was.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
That’s before calculating expenses for gear, food, water and other vital supplies.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
"In the surrounding chalk grassland, they can discover how plants and insects cope with extreme heat, and why shade, varied vegetation and connected habitats can provide vital refuges for wildlife."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
A reply telegram insisted, “You must be here by Monday night …” repeating, “It is of vital importance.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
