pivotal

adjective

piv·​ot·​al ˈpi-və-tᵊl How to pronounce pivotal (audio)
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 For the Jayhawks, ensuring this duo doesn’t get going is pivotal. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024 Republican groups in the pivotal battleground state announced a multimillion-dollar vote-by-mail initiative at the same time state party leaders are trying to prohibit a key way of submitting those ballots. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Kelman said the weekend surge in demand wasn’t just seasonal, although there might be a little seasonality at play; (spring is a pivotal season in the housing world, known for selling and shopping). Alena Botros, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 Institutional crypto trading is both predictable and pivotal in the broader adoption of digital assets. Tyler Shepherd, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2024 The inception of the KNC School of Beauty traces back to a pivotal moment in 2020, as recounted by its visionary founder in an exclusive interview with ESSENCE. Tira Urquhart, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024 These qualities have been pivotal in her transformation as a content creator and filmmaker. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 The singer was joined on stage by Presley Cash, Joey King and her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner, who all played pivotal roles in her Speak Now era. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Beletsky also used the seven episodes to give life to Black characters who often were left out of the telling of pivotal moments in American history. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pivotal.' 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

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of pivotal was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near pivotal

Cite this Entry

“Pivotal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pivotal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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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