be critical to

USAGE SUMMARY

'be critical to' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something is necessary or essential in order to achieve a desired goal. For example: "A strong understanding of the material will be critical to passing the test."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Business adoption will be critical to success.

Harvard Business Review

Their pitching will be critical to their chances.

The New York Times

Two in particular will be critical to the team's morale.

The Guardian

2. Network effects will be critical to performance.

Harvard Business Review

The next few months will be critical to both cases.

The Washington Post

Maintaining a disciplined culture will be critical to investor confidence.

The New York Times

Action by governments will be critical to success, he added.

The New York Times

Fretting was shown to be critical to crack initiation.

International Journal of Fatigue

This may be critical to the design of the channel.

Applied Ocean Research

Control of rhizospheric gases can be critical to research.

Environmental and Experimental Botany

Those spaces are going to be critical to the lives and future of 4,000 people.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "be critical to", ensure that the relationship between the critical element and the outcome is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid overusing "be critical to" in a single piece of writing. Vary your language by using synonyms like "essential", "vital", or "crucial" to maintain reader engagement and prevent your writing from sounding repetitive.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be critical to" functions as a linking phrase, connecting a subject with its essential requirement for achieving a particular outcome. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is both correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "be critical to" is a phrase used to emphasize the necessity of something for achieving a specific result. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability across various contexts. As demonstrated by Ludwig's examples, the phrase is most commonly found in news and media, science, and business-related sources. To enhance your writing, ensure the connection between the critical element and the desired outcome is clear and avoid overuse by incorporating synonyms like "essential", "vital", or "crucial". Understanding these nuances will allow you to effectively integrate "be critical to" into your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be essential to

Replaces "critical" with "essential", indicating something is indispensable.

be vital to

Uses "vital" instead of "critical", emphasizing the importance for survival or success.

be crucial to

Employs "crucial" as a synonym for "critical", suggesting a decisive importance.

be indispensable to

Indicates that something is absolutely necessary and cannot be done without.

be paramount to

Replaces "critical" with "paramount", highlighting the supreme importance of something.

be key to

Uses "key" to indicate that something is a central or fundamental element.

be fundamental to

Highlights that something forms a necessary base or core.

be integral to

Indicates that something is an essential part of a whole.

play a decisive role in

Shifts from a state of being to an active role, emphasizing impact.

be of the essence for

Stresses the urgency and utmost importance of something.

FAQs

How can I use "be critical to" in a sentence?

Use "be critical to" to emphasize the importance of something for achieving a specific outcome. For example, "Teamwork will "be critical to" the project's success".

What are some alternatives to "be critical to"?

You can use alternatives such as "be essential to", "be vital to", or "be crucial to" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "is critical to" instead of "be critical to"?

Yes, both forms are grammatically correct. "Is critical to" is used when referring to a specific subject in the present tense (e.g., "This step is critical to the process"), while "be critical to" is often used in more general statements or future contexts (e.g., "These skills will "be critical to" your success").

What's the difference between "be important to" and "be critical to"?

While both phrases indicate significance, ""be critical to"" emphasizes a higher degree of necessity or importance. Something that is "important" is valuable, while something that is "critical to" is essential for success or survival.