pivotal

adjective

piv·​ot·​al ˈpi-və-tᵊl How to pronounce pivotal (audio)
Synonyms of pivotalnext
1
: of, relating to, or constituting a pivot
2
: vitally important : critical
pivotally adverb

Examples of pivotal in a Sentence

She is at a pivotal point in her career. the report was missing a pivotal piece of information
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During this pivotal stretch TCU collected Quad 1 wins over Iowa State and Oklahoma State and now also own a quality Quad 2 win over the Mountaineers, who now likely need to make a run in the Big 12 Tournament to make the field of 68. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Feb. 2026 Willie Colón, a legendary salsa musician who played a pivotal role in the Nuyorican salsa movement, died Saturday, his family confirmed in a statement posted to his Facebook account. Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026 That matched the consensus forecast but kept the pivotal inflation measure well above the Fed’s 2% target. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026 The findings date back to the late Iron Age—a pivotal time in the region’s history. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pivotal

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of pivotal was in 1838

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Cite this Entry

“Pivotal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pivotal. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

pivotal

adjective
piv·​ot·​al ˈpiv-ət-ᵊl How to pronounce pivotal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or functioning as a pivot
2
: extremely important : critical
a pivotal discovery
pivotally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pivotal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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