crucial

«crucial» in Mova's school dictionary: Extremely important, because something else depends on… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective (crucial; more crucial)

meaning for a pupil

1) Extremely important, because something else depends on it: «Sleep is crucial for growing children». tree →

2) (UK, slang, old) Brilliant, excellent: «That tune is crucial!» tree →

sense in the lessons

In science and maths explanations, «crucial» marks the key step, ingredient or fact. In sport reports, «a crucial goal» decides the match. In everyday safety advice, «it is crucial to wear a helmet». Phrases: «crucial to», «crucial for», «crucial role», «crucial moment», «absolutely crucial».

examples

• Sleep is crucial for your brain and body. tree →
• Her crucial goal won the cup final. tree →
• It is crucial to look both ways before you cross the road. tree →
• Bees play a crucial role in pollinating crops. tree →
• Reading the question carefully is crucial in a maths test. tree →
• The crucial clue was a muddy footprint. tree →
• Water is crucial to all living things. tree →

note

Said «KROO-shul». You say «crucial to» or «crucial for» something. Similar: vital, essential, key, critical. «Crux» (the most important point) and «crucial» come from the Latin word for «cross» — a crossroads where you must choose. The slang «crucial = brilliant» is old 1980s–90s UK youth talk.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «crucial» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.