crucial

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adjective cru·cial \ ˈkrü-shəl \

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.

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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

The independence of the electoral commission and the integrity of the supreme court as arbiter of disputes are crucial for a decent election.

— The Economist, "How to unrig an electionNew methods and technology can make elections fairer," 20 July 2017
Still, ignoring the subject altogether isn’t an option, since narratives that communicate how often eating disorders end in recovery are crucial. * * *

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "To the Bone: The Trouble With Anorexia on Film," 14 July 2017
So backers say public support will be crucial for success.

— april reese, Science | AAAS, "New Zealand aims to eradicate invasive predators, but winning public support may be big challenge," 10 July 2017
Most crucial are the immense amounts of hops employed and when they are added.

— josh noel, chicagotribune.com, "How I learned to stop worrying and love hazy IPA — some hazy IPA," 5 July 2017
Crucial to his success would be a sympathetic New Jersey governor.

— marie brenner, The Hive, "How Donald Trump and Roy Cohn’s Ruthless Symbiosis Changed America," 4 July 2017
At the most, there would be hearing after hearing about the Obama administration's plan to seed thousands of the president's fellow Kenyans in every crucial precinct in Ohio and Florida.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Kris Kobach Is Leading the Most Insidious Dimension of Trump's Assault on Democracy," 30 June 2017
In the Vatican, Pell’s job as secretariat of the economy is so crucial that it has been described as the second-most-powerful role in Rome, after only the pope.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Even sweeping the suburbs would not be enough for Democrats to win the House majority," 29 June 2017
Without federal funding, Planned Parenthood will not be able to provide these crucial services that so many Black women rely upon.

— midwin charles, Essence.com, "6 Devastating Ways The Senate Health Care Bill Will Affect Black Women," 24 June 2017

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

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crucial Synonyms

Synonyms

critical, key, pivotal, vital

Related Words

decisive, life-and-death (also life-or-death), weighty; basic, elementary, fundamental; essential, indispensable, necessary, requisite; pressing, urgent

Near Antonyms

inconsequential, insignificant, minor, trivial, unimportant

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

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adjective

Definition of crucial for English Language Learners

: extremely important

CRUCIAL Defined for Kids

crucial

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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.

Learn More about crucial

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 Defined for English Language Learners

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