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Synonym Chooser

How is the word vital different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of vital are cardinal, essential, and fundamental. While all these words mean "so important as to be indispensable," vital suggests something that is necessary to a thing's continued existence or operation.

cut off from vital supplies

When might cardinal be a better fit than vital?

In some situations, the words cardinal and vital are roughly equivalent. However, cardinal suggests something on which an outcome turns or depends.

a cardinal rule in buying a home

When can essential be used instead of vital?

While the synonyms essential and vital are close in meaning, essential implies belonging to the very nature of a thing and therefore being incapable of removal without destroying the thing itself or its character.

conflict is essential in drama

Where would fundamental be a reasonable alternative to vital?

While in some cases nearly identical to vital, fundamental applies to something that is a foundation without which an entire system or complex whole would collapse.

fundamental principles of algebra

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of vital Horford remained effective on the court and vital to the locker room as a 38-year-old in Year 18. Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025 Contributor/Getty Images What To Know The agreement relates to the earlier tariff-slashing U.S.-China trade talks in Geneva, which stalled over American concerns that Beijing was dragging its feet on exporting vital rare earths. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025 Congress must act now to protect our vulnerable neighbors and communities across the country by fully funding the vital Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance program. Lisa C Jones, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2025 William Buckley and his drive to push America to the right William F. Buckley, Jr. was a leading commentator who had a vital role in elevating Joseph McCarthy, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, catalyzing a conservative movement that reshaped the Republican Party – and the country. David Morgan, CBS News, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for vital
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vital
Adjective
  • Both Explorer’s Lounge and the Pinnacle Bar are on the quieter side, while Rolling Stone Lounge and Billboard Onboard have live music and a more energetic vibe, particularly later in the evening.
    Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2025
  • That coherence is a physical, energetic property in one’s mind-body system.
    Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Staying active, building muscle, getting enough sleep, and managing stress can help increase your metabolism.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 30 June 2025
  • While sightings in urban areas like Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa are relatively uncommon, Florida black bears become more active during spring and summer and can sometimes be seen in unexpected places, said Thompson, assigned to the wildlife agency’s division of Habitat and Species Conservation.
    Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • The idea is to keep pushing European governments on problems created by tourism, like rising rents and housing shortages, environmental damage and neighborhoods losing essential services for residents.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
    Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Richard Gerald Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
  • Advertisement Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave.
    Kathy Baughman McLeod, Time, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • The 34-year-old Argentine goalkeeper wasn’t overworked, as Rayados’ defensive shape only gave him 10 shots on target to deal with across the three contests, but his stops were crucial.
    The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • This innovative process achieves heat treatment speeds that are 25 times faster while occupying significantly less space, addressing crucial scalability issues that have long impeded the commercialization of solid-state batteries.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Bright acidity and a refreshing minerality result in a lingering, dry finish.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • No beach day is complete without refreshing drinks and snacks.
    Jené Luciani Sena may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Our goal is to provide this safe, dynamic space for after-school socialization and group hangouts.
    American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 28 June 2025
  • More than a global trade show, JCK is also a dynamic seminar site programmed with JCK Talks educational panel discussions and presentations delivered by experts from various jewelry industry realms-- and countries.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • For much of the day New Haven Green was filled with a Juneteenth Village and Marketplace, including loud and lively hip-hop acts.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2025
  • The small but lively crowd of 14,312 at the Rose Bowl gasped in disbelief as Deossa and his teammates celebrated what instantly became a contender for the goal of the tournament — only to be possibly upstaged by his fellow midfielder Corona nine minutes later.
    Austin Green, New York Times, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vital.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vital. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on vital

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