crucial

USAGE SUMMARY

"crucial" is a correct, usable word in written English.
You use it to indicate that something is of great importance or necessary in order to achieve a certain result. Example: "Making sure our website is running smoothly is absolutely crucial to our business success."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "We are investing in the biggest rail modernisation since the Victorian era and fares have a crucial role to play in funding these improvements.

The Guardian

He's done crucial research on language acquisition, and he offers an admirable account of syntax in his book, but it is unclear what he's talking about here.

The Economist

So the stakes are high in these crucial hours".

The Guardian

At this G20 I brought together a crucial meeting between President Obama and fellow European leaders to insist on urgent progress on a comprehensive EU-US trade deal that could add £10bn to the UK economy alone.

The Guardian - Opinion

"It's a crucial part of the vision of the institution even to be a little bit disputatious in a way, and that's something we're actively trying to seek, not as a way of shocking people for no good reason, but to encourage conversation".

The Guardian - Arts

But there has been a real edge to the cricket, too, especially in this crucial part of the match with Billy Godleman determined to shine against his former club.

The Guardian - Sport

Related: 10 tips for charity impact measurement How charities attempt to communicate this is crucial.

The Guardian

The crucial difference is that with Hamlet I felt it was important to be provocative because the play is so famous it is inert.

The Guardian

Related: Republican elite swarm New Hampshire as host of 2016 hopefuls take the stage The full-to-bursting roster of Republican presidential aspirants expanded again over the weekend after John Kasich, the governor of the crucial swing-state of Ohio, laid the groundwork for a run on the White House with an unusual attack on Wall Street.

The Guardian

He was an crucial part of any tour, organised, funny, highly hospitable and with an innate ability to get on famously with anyone, anywhere.

The Guardian

But we all feel it's crucial that Caroline Lucas, the Green party's sole MP at this time, should be re-elected in her Brighton constituency on 7 May.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When emphasizing the impact of an action or decision, use "crucial" to highlight its significant effect on the outcome. For example, "Effective communication is crucial for team success."

Common error

Avoid using "crucial" for minor or insignificant details. Reserve it for situations where the outcome genuinely depends on the factor being described.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "crucial" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to emphasize the extreme importance or decisiveness of something, as confirmed by Ludwig and demonstrated in numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "crucial" functions as an adjective to denote something of extreme importance or necessity. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and provides numerous examples across various contexts. The phrase is most frequently used in News & Media and Formal & Business settings, indicating a neutral to formal register. When writing, remember to reserve "crucial" for situations where the outcome truly hinges on the factor being described. While alternatives like "essential" or "vital" exist, "crucial" emphasizes a particularly decisive role.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

essential

Focuses on the necessity of something, suggesting it is indispensable.

vital

Emphasizes the life-sustaining or critical nature of something.

critical

Highlights the importance of something in determining an outcome or crisis.

key

Suggests that something is central or fundamental to success.

indispensable

Underscores the absolute necessity of something, indicating it cannot be done without.

significant

Highlights the importance of something but can be less emphatic than "crucial".

pivotal

Indicates that something is a turning point or a decisive factor.

of the essence

Stresses the utmost importance and urgency of something.

highly important

A more general alternative indicating significant value.

fundamental

Indicates a basic and necessary element.

FAQs

How to use "crucial" in a sentence?

"Crucial" is used to emphasize the importance of something. For instance, "Honest communication is "crucial" for building trust within a team."

What can I say instead of "crucial"?

You can use alternatives like "essential", "vital", or "critical" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "crucial" or "important"?

"Crucial" indicates a higher degree of importance compared to "important". Something that is "crucial" is absolutely necessary, while something that is only "important" has significant value but isn't necessarily indispensable.

What's the difference between "crucial" and "significant"?

"Crucial" implies that something is essential to success or survival, while "significant" suggests that something is notable or important, but not necessarily indispensable.