crucial

adjective

cru·​cial ˈkrü-shəl 

1

a

: important, significant

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

—Stanley Kubrick

Vitamins are crucial for maintaining good health.

b

: important or essential as resolving a crisis : decisive

She played a crucial role in the negotiations.

c

: marked by final determination of a doubtful issue

the crucial game of a series

2

archaic : cruciform

Synonyms

• critical
• key
• pivotal
• vital

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

Line changes spark Oilers’ third-period charge The Oilers switched their top six during the second intermission heading into a crucial final period of regulation. —Eric Stephens, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

This is because coaching encourages independence, growth and establishes a culture of trust, which are crucial elements for sustainable productivity. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

That project, along with the Westbound Bypass, will improve train movements, but having one of the East River tubes under demotion for years is still the crucial missing link. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025

Trump’s visit to the Great Lakes State, which proved crucial in his election victory last year, further spotlights the battleground that will also feature a contentious race for an open Senate seat next year to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI). —Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin cruc-, crux cross

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for crucial

• trucial

Kids Definition

crucial

adjective

cru·​cial ˈkrü-shəl 

1

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

the crucial game of a series

2

: very important : significant

water is a crucial element in our weather

crucially

ˈkrüsh-(ə-)lē

adverb

Etymology

from French crucial "having the form of a cross, being or involving a crisis," from Latin cruc-, crux "cross, trouble, torture" — related to cross, crucify, crux