crucial
Of supreme importance
Crucial means vitally important or decisive—the thing everything else depends on.
A crucial moment determines what follows.
A crucial detail can make or break a case.
Crucial evidence tips the balance.
The word carries weight: if something is crucial, it cannot be overlooked or dismissed.
Her testimony was crucial to the prosecution's case.
Essential or sustaining existence
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
- indispensableUtterly required, irreplaceable
- necessaryIndispensable, cannot omit
- paramountOf supreme significance
fundamental · key · integral · core · requisite · prerequisite · imperative · mandatory
Foundational building block
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- keystoneArch's central locking stone
- linchpinVital securing element
- underpinningFoundational support beneath
basis · framework · groundwork · pillar · backbone · anchor · fulcrum · hub
Settling a matter conclusively
- conclusiveEnding all debate
- definitiveSettling a question finally
- decidingMaking a choice
- pivotalVitally important, deciding
turning · momentous · settling · final · ultimate · binding · irrevocable · game-changing
vital
Essential or sustaining existence
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
- indispensableUtterly required, irreplaceable
- necessaryIndispensable, cannot omit
paramount · fundamental · key · integral · core · requisite · prerequisite · imperative · mandatory · obligatory
cornerstone
Foundational building block
underpinning · basis · framework · groundwork · pillar · backbone · anchor · fulcrum · hub · nexus
determinative
Settling a matter conclusively
- conclusiveEnding all debate
- definitiveSettling a question finally
- decidingMaking a choice
pivotal · turning · momentous · settling · final · ultimate · binding · irrevocable · game-changing · watershed
- importanceimportance, significance, consequence, weight, gravity
- urgencyurgent, urgently, emergency, ASAP, stat
- crunch timecrunch time, do or die, do-or-die, last chance, now or never
- prioritypriority, top priority, high priority, low-priority, first priority
- time pressurerush, against the clock, rushed, clock is ticking, urgency
- impactful wordspowerful, striking, dramatic, forceful, compelling
crucialunimportant
Lacking significance or weight
trivial · insignificant · inconsequential · minor · negligible
crucialunnecessary
Not essential or required
dispensable · optional · expendable · noncrucial · uncritical
crucialinconsequential
Lacking significance or impact
immaterial · irrelevant · meaningless · pointless · negligible
- anterior cruciate ligamentKnee's rotational stability band
- cruciate ligamentKnee's cross-shaped stabilizers
- crucial junctureDecisive point of change
- crucifix pendantReligious jewelry depicting Christ
excruciating, crucifix, crucially, excruciate, cruciform, cruciate