Definition: of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
Usage: a crucial moment in his career; a crucial election; a crucial issue for women
Similar words: critical, decisive
Definition: forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis
Usage: a critical point in the campaign; the critical test
Similar words: life-and-death, life-or-death
Definition: vitally important
Usage: a life-and-death struggle
Definition: being of crucial importance
Usage: a pivotal event; Its pivotal location has also exposed it to periodic invasions- Henry Kissinger; the polar events of this study; a polar principal
Synonyms: important, of import
Definition: of great significance or value
Usage: important people; the important questions of the day
Similar words: of the essence, essential, crucial, all important, all-important
Definition: of the greatest importance
Usage: the all-important subject of disarmament; crucial information; in chess cool nerves are of the essence
Similar words: alpha
Definition: first in order of importance
Usage: the alpha male in the group of chimpanzees; the alpha star in a constellation is the brightest or main star
Similar words: beta
Definition: second in order of importance
Usage: the candidate, considered a beta male, was perceived to be unable to lead his party to victory
Similar words: big
Definition: significant
Usage: graduation was a big day in his life
Similar words: burning
Definition: of immediate import
Usage: burning issues of the day
Similar words: cardinal, central, key, primal, fundamental
Definition: serving as an essential component
Usage: a cardinal rule; the central cause of the problem; an example that was fundamental to the argument; computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure
Similar words: main, master, chief, primary, principal
Definition: most important element
Usage: the chief aim of living; the main doors were of solid glass; the principal rivers of America; the principal example; policemen were primary targets; the master bedroom; a master switch
Similar words: eventful, consequential
Definition: having important issues or results
Usage: the year's only really consequential legislation; an eventful decision
Similar words: Copernican
Definition: of radical or major importance
Usage: a Copernican revolution in modern art
Similar words: distinguished
Definition: (used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
Usage: our distinguished professor
Similar words: grand
Definition: the most important and magnificent in adornment
Usage: grand ballroom; grand staircase
Similar words: grave, grievous, heavy, weighty
Definition: of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought
Usage: grave responsibilities; faced a grave decision in a time of crisis; a grievous fault; heavy matters of state; the weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference
Similar words: outstanding, great
Definition: of major significance or importance
Usage: a great work of art; Einstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th centurey
Similar words: historic
Definition: important in history
Usage: the historic first voyage to outer space
Similar words: in-chief
Definition: indicating the head of a staff
Usage: editor-in-chief
Similar words: measurable
Definition: of distinguished importance
Usage: a measurable figure in literature
Similar words: most-valuable
Definition: designating the player judged to be the most important to the sport
Usage: the most-valuable player award
Similar words: serious
Definition: of great consequence
Usage: marriage is a serious matter
Similar words: strategic
Definition: highly important to or an integral part of a strategy or plan of action especially in war
Usage: a strategic chess move; strategic withdrawal; strategic bombing missions
Synonyms: important
Definition: having or suggesting a consciousness of high position
Usage: recited the decree with an important air; took long important strides in the direction of his office
Similar words: immodest
Definition: having or showing an exaggerated opinion of your importance, ability, etc
Usage: brash immodest boasting
Synonyms: important, authoritative
Definition: having authority or ascendancy or influence
Usage: an important official; the captain's authoritative manner
Similar words: influential
Definition: having or exercising influence or power
Usage: an influential newspaper; influential leadership for peace
Synonyms: important, significant
Definition: important in effect or meaning
Usage: a significant change in tax laws; a significant change in the Constitution; a significant contribution; significant details; statistically significant
Similar words: momentous
Definition: of very great significance
Usage: deciding to drop the atom bomb was a very big decision; a momentous event
Similar words: epoch-making, epochal
Definition: highly significant or important especially bringing about or marking the beginning of a new development or era
Usage: epochal decisions made by Roosevelt and Churchill; an epoch-making discovery
Similar words: world-shaking, world-shattering, earthshaking
Definition: sufficiently significant to affect the whole world
Usage: earthshaking proposals; the contest was no world-shaking affair; the conversation...could hardly be called world-shattering
Similar words: evidential, evidentiary
Definition: serving as or based on evidence
Usage: evidential signs of a forced entry; its evidentiary value
Similar words: fundamental, profound
Definition: far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something
Usage: the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred; the book underwent fundamental changes; committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance; profound social changes
Similar words: large
Definition: fairly large or important in effect; influential
Usage: played a large role in the negotiations
Similar words: monumental
Definition: of outstanding significance
Usage: Einstein's monumental contributions to physics
Similar words: noteworthy, remarkable
Definition: worthy of notice
Usage: a noteworthy fact is that her students rarely complain; a remarkable achievement
Similar words: probative, probatory
Definition: tending to prove a particular proposition or to persuade you of the truth of an allegation
Usage: evidence should only be excluded if its probative value was outweighed by its prejudicial effect
Similar words: operative
Definition: effective; producing a desired effect
Usage: the operative word
Similar words: prodigious, portentous
Definition: of momentous or ominous significance
Usage: such a portentous...monster raised all my curiosity- Herman Melville; a prodigious vision