crucial

cru-cial · adjective

imported

Definitions

adjective

  1. 1.

    Of great importance; decisive or critical.

  2. 2.

    Absolutely necessary; essential.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    crucial role — an essential function
  • •
    crucial difference — a significant distinction
  • •
    at a crucial stage — at a critical point

Related words

Antonyms: minor, trivial, unimportant
See also: critical, essential, pivotal, vital
Synonyms: critical, essential, pivotal, vital

Etymology

From Latin crux meaning "cross." Originally a medical term referring to a decisive point in a disease, from the notion of a "crossroads" where the outcome would be determined. The sense of "important" developed in the 19th century.