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Definition of crucial

crucial

/ˈkruː.ʃəl/
cru · cial
Adverb:crucially
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crucial Lexical Profile

crucial Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Of great importance; decisive or critical, especially in the success or failure of something.

Example

"Early diagnosis is crucial for the effective treatment of the condition."

2

In Anatomy, having the form of a cross; cruciate.

Example

"The surgeon carefully examined the crucial ligaments of the knee joint during the procedure."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for crucial

• Nearby Words

crowning
crownland
crownless
crucial
crucially
crucible
cruciferous

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the early 18th century from French crucial, from Latin crux ('cross'). The modern sense of 'decisive' or 'critical' evolved from Francis Bacon's Latin phrase instantia crucis ('crucial instance'), which metaphorically compared a decisive scientific experiment to a fingerpost at a crossroads pointing the right way.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Crucial. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/crucial
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