CRUCIAL
Dictionary entry overview: What does crucial mean?
• CRUCIAL (adjective)
The adjective CRUCIAL has 4 senses:
1. of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
2. having crucial relevance
3. of the greatest importance
4. having the power or quality of deciding
Familiarity information: CRUCIAL used as an adjective is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• CRUCIAL (adjective)
Meaning:
Of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
Synonyms:
crucial; important
Context examples:
a crucial moment in his career / a crucial election / a crucial issue for women
Similar:
critical; decisive (forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis)
life-and-death; life-or-death (vitally important)
pivotal; polar (being of crucial importance)
Also:
critical (being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency)
decisive (determining or having the power to determine an outcome)
essential (basic and fundamental)
Antonym:
noncrucial (of little importance; not decisive)
Meaning:
Having crucial relevance
Context examples:
crucial to the case / relevant testimony
Similar:
material (directly relevant to a matter especially a law case)
Meaning:
Of the greatest importance
Synonyms:
all important; all-important; of the essence; crucial; essential
Context examples:
the all-important subject of disarmament / crucial information / in chess cool nerves are of the essence
Similar:
important; of import (of great significance or value)
Meaning:
Having the power or quality of deciding
Synonyms:
determining; determinative; determinant; deciding; crucial
Context examples:
the crucial experiment / cast the deciding vote / the determinative (or determinant) battle
Similar:
decisive (determining or having the power to determine an outcome)
