crucial

adjective cru·cial \ ˈkrü-shəl \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

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Examples: crucial in a Sentence

Definition of crucial

1 archaic : cruciform

2 a : important or essential as resolving a crisis : decisive

She played a crucial role in the negotiations.

b : marked by final determination of a doubtful issue

the crucial game of a series

c : important, significant

… what use we make of them will be the crucial question.
—Stanley Kubrick

Vitamins are crucial for maintaining good health.

See crucial defined for English-language learners

See crucial defined for kids

Examples of crucial in a Sentence

Vitamins are crucial for maintaining good health.
It's crucial that we arrive before 8 o'clock.
Teachers are crucial to the success of the school.
She played a crucial role in the meeting.

Recent Examples of crucial from the Web

Prime Minister May rightly is committed to maintaining open borders with Ireland, which in turn were crucial to the 1998 peace accords Britain and Ireland — with the help of U.S. leaders — achieved in Northern Ireland.

— arthur i. cyr, Lake County News-Sun, "Cyr: Britain’s prime minister takes charge of cabinet," 13 July 2018
Some boats sailed straight down Buffalo Bayou to downtown Houston, but Galveston was especially crucial to the blockade-runners.

— chris gray, Houston Chronicle, "Expansive exhibit highlights Houston’s quiet but vital role during Civil War," 11 July 2018
The reason is his movement and speed, something which is crucial to any side's offence.

— SI.com, "Why England Supporters Are Wrong to Call for Raheem Sterling to Be Dropped for Croatia WC Semi Final," 11 July 2018
However, understanding Camille's parentage is crucial to understanding, well — just about everything in Sharp Objects.

— refinery29.com, "Who Is Camille's Father In Sharp Objects?," 9 July 2018
The Scott-Cassie relationship is so crucial to both movies.

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "The folks behind Ant-Man and the Wasp on why Marvel doesn’t always have to save the world," 5 July 2018
The Fitzgerald revitalization project is crucial to Duggan’s plan to address the abandonment and blight that continues to hinder Detroit’s neighborhoods.

— joe guillen, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit's showcase neighborhood project falls a year behind schedule," 3 July 2018
According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, coral reefs are crucial to marine and human life.

— lindsey bever, The Seattle Times, "Hawaii is about to ban popular sunscreen brands to protect its coral reefs," 2 July 2018
The new leadership could be crucial to bolstering the agency's standing nationally amid the immigration protests.

— angela forburger, azcentral, "Movement to 'Abolish ICE' grows amid Trump's hard-liner immigration enforcement," 1 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crucial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crucial

French, from Latin cruc-, crux cross

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1706

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

crucial Synonyms

Synonyms

critical, key, pivotal, vital;

Near Antonyms

inconsequential, insignificant, minor, trivial, unimportant;

basic, elementary, fundamental;

essential, indispensable, necessary, requisite;

pressing, urgent;

Synonym Discussion of crucial

acute, critical, crucial mean of uncertain outcome. acute stresses intensification of conditions leading to a culmination or breaking point.

- an acute housing shortage

critical adds to acute implications of imminent change, of attendant suspense, and of decisiveness in the outcome.

- the war has entered a critical phase

crucial suggests a dividing of the ways and often a test or trial involving the determination of a future course or direction.

- a crucial vote

CRUCIAL Defined for English Language Learners

crucial

adjective

Definition of crucial for English Language Learners

: extremely important

CRUCIAL Defined for Kids

crucial

adjective cru·cial \ ˈkrü-shəl \

Definition of crucial for Students

1 : being a final or very important test or decision : decisive

a crucial battle

2 : very important : significant

Water is a crucial element in our weather.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crucial Spanish Central: Translation of crucial Nglish: Translation of crucial for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of crucial for Arabic speakers

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crucial

Definition of crucial

Examples of crucial in a Sentence

Recent Examples of crucial from the Web

Origin and Etymology of crucial

crucial Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of crucial

CRUCIAL Defined for English Language Learners

crucial

Definition of crucial for English Language Learners

CRUCIAL Defined for Kids

crucial

Definition of crucial for Students

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