fulcrum

noun

ful·​crum ˈfu̇l-krəm  ˈfəl- 

plural fulcrums or fulcra ˈfu̇l-krə 

ˈfəl-

1

a

: prop

specifically : the support about which a lever turns

the camera moves on a fixed fulcrum, either horizontally (panning) or vertically (tilting)

—Gerald Mast

b

: one that supplies capability for action

he is … the reader's eyes and ears and the fulcrum of his judgment

—Bernard De Voto

2

: a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support

Did you know?

Fulcrum, which means "bedpost" in Latin, comes from the verb fulcire, which means "to prop." When the word fulcrum was first used in the 17th century, it referred to the point on which a lever or similar device (such as the oar of a boat) is supported. The literal use easily supported figurative use, and it didn't take long for the word to develop a meaning referring to one deemed essential to the function or development of something. Despite fulcrum's multiple senses, the word's meanings have kept a steady theme. In zoology, fulcrum refers to a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support, such as the joint supporting a bird's wing.

Examples of fulcrum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There came a moment—probably before the husband dragged the child, gnawing on his gloved hand, through attic insulation—when things shifted like a plank laying across a fulcrum, weight placed on one end. —Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025

Hitler used hatred of Jews as a fulcrum around which to gain full and absolute control of his countrymen. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2025

As the fulcrum to the entire terrorist plot this season, however, the Roddy character has done much to establish the tone, which is much sillier than usual, despite kicking off with a massacre that’s surely the most harrowing sequence the show has done so far. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025

The healthier and more available Herro emerged as the club's offensive fulcrum in the absence of Butler. —Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Latin, bedpost, from fulcire to prop — more at balk entry 2

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

fulcrum

noun

ful·​crum ˈfu̇l-krəm  ˈfəl- 

plural fulcrums or fulcra -krə 

: the support about which a lever turns