crucially

adverb

cru·​cial·​ly ˈkrü-sh(ə-)lē How to pronounce crucially (audio)
1
: in a crucial manner
2
: very importantly

Examples of crucially in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Arguably the greatest classical actor of his generation, McKellen’s command of the stage, of language and also, crucially, of silence hold the audience rapt, especially in gleefully self-aggrandizing soliloquies. David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024 The start of Saturday’s appearance, meanwhile, showed the mental fortitude and high-pressure composure that Yamamoto, crucially, possesses as well. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024 And yet, crucially, nearly every single time, he is told off, cast out, ignored, tsked, dumped, pitchforked, closed in on. Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024 And about a year later, the local District Attorney charged 11 members of Antifa with various different felonies, basically related to this violent day and crucially charged them with being engaged in a conspiracy to riot. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024 Even the early, pivotal death of Myrtle’s desperate young fan, Nancy (Shira Haas), who crucially comes back to haunt her, fails to register properly. David Benedict, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024 Then, crucially, in 2016, Lukin’s team and research groups in France and in South Korea all independently figured out how to load many neutral atoms into arrays of optical traps and move them around at will. Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024 But royals, crucially, aren’t supposed to disappear from sight. Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Despite confusing branding from some automakers and others that may suggest otherwise, ADAS systems crucially are not the same as fully-autonomous, self-driving vehicles. Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crucially.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crucially was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near crucially

Cite this Entry

“Crucially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crucially. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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