crucial

crucial, critical

adjective kru-SYAHL Rare

Origin: Latin 'crux' (cross, crux)

Usage Note

Crucial is used just like its English counterpart to mean decisive or pivotal. The feminine form is cruciale, and the plural cruciaux/cruciales. It is slightly more formal than essentiel and more emphatic than important; jouer un rôle crucial (to play a crucial role) is a very common journalistic collocation.

Examples

"Cette réunion est cruciale pour l'avenir du projet."

Natural Translation

This meeting is crucial for the future of the project.

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