1
a
: important, significant
… what use we make of them will be the crucial question.—
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley KubrickVitamins are crucial for maintaining good health.
b
: important or essential as resolving a crisis : decisive
She played a crucial role in the negotiations.
c
: marked by final determination of a doubtful issue
the crucial game of a series
2
archaic
: cruciform
Examples of crucial in a Sentence
Vitamins are crucial for maintaining good health.
It's crucial that we arrive before 8 o'clock.
Teachers are crucial to the success of the school.
She played a crucial role in the meeting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Traffic through the Strait had remained steady in recent days but was not increasing, according to a post from the UKMTO Sunday, which warned risks remained for vessels crossing the crucial waterway.
—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
7 July 2026
The crucial pretrial hearing was pushed back as prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over what evidence could be presented and if cameras would be allowed in the courtroom.
—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
6 July 2026
Rutte made the remarks in the Turkish capital come ahead of a two-day summit starting on Tuesday that comes at a time crucial time for the alliance with the United States scaling down its security role in Europe.
—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2026
Princess Kate, who wore a light yellow dress with black buttons and belt from Suzannah London, took a tour of some of the wards and heard how the hospital is undergoing crucial expansion to enable it to widen its help for children.
—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for crucial
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Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
7 July 2026
The crucial pretrial hearing was pushed back as prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over what evidence could be presented and if cameras would be allowed in the courtroom.
—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
6 July 2026
Rutte made the remarks in the Turkish capital come ahead of a two-day summit starting on Tuesday that comes at a time crucial time for the alliance with the United States scaling down its security role in Europe.
—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2026
Princess Kate, who wore a light yellow dress with black buttons and belt from Suzannah London, took a tour of some of the wards and heard how the hospital is undergoing crucial expansion to enable it to widen its help for children.
—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for crucial
Cite this Entry
“Crucial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crucial. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crucial
adjective
cru·cial
ˈkrü-shəl 
1
: being a final or very important test or decision : decisive
the crucial game of a series
2
: very important : significant
water is a crucial element in our weather
crucially
adverb
ˈkrüsh-(ə-)lē
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