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

The fulcrum for both parties’ chaos is Paxton, a polarizing figure whose potential strength among MAGA die-hards has triggered Cornyn’s allies to dump $50 million and counting on ads to prop up the incumbent. —Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Feb. 2026

In the years leading up to the Civil War, Lockport had become a fulcrum point for abolitionists, according to Lindsey Minas, who recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from Lewis University in Joliet and is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Chicago. —Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026

As with so many things, millennials like me seem to be the fulcrum here. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026

The moral fulcrum of Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, in which a scholar gains knowledge and power through a demonic pact, is a relatively straightforward statement on the human condition. —Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin, going back to Latin, "head or back support of a couch," going back to *fulc-crum, from fulcīre "to prop, support" (of uncertain origin) + -crum, variant of -c(u)lum, instrumental suffix, after bases containing an -l- (going back to Indo-European *-tlom)

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