Word Study
crucial
CIDE DICTIONARY
crucial, a. [F. crucial, fr. L. crux, crucis, cross, torture. See Cross.].
- Having the form of a cross; appertaining to a cross; cruciform; intersecting; as, crucial ligaments; a crucial incision. [1913 Webster]
- Severe; trying or searching, as if bringing to the cross; decisive; as, a crucial test. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
crucial, adj.
1 decisive, critical.
2 disp. very important.
1 decisive, critical.
2 disp. very important.
Derivative
cruciality n. (pl. -ies). crucially adv.
Etymology
F f. L crux crucis cross
THESAURUS
crucial
aboriginal, acute, basal, basic, central, charged, clamorous, climacteric, compelling, critical, crying, deciding, decisive, desperate, dire, elemental, elementary, embryonic, emergent, essential, exigent, fundamental, generative, genetic, germinal, high-pressure, high-priority, imperative, imperious, important, in embryo, in ovo, insistent, instant, kairotic, loaded, major, momentous, necessary, original, pivotal, pregnant, pressing, primal, primary, primeval, primitive, primordial, pristine, protogenic, radical, rudimentary, seminal, urgent, vitalROGET THESAURUS
crucial
Crossing
N crossing, intersection, interdigitation, decussation, transversion, convolution, level crossing, reticulation, network, inosculation, anastomosis, intertexture, mortise, net, plexus, web, mesh, twill, skein, sleeve, felt, lace, wicker, mat, matting, plait, trellis, wattle, lattice, grating, grille, gridiron, tracery, fretwork, filigree, reticle, tissue, netting, mokes, rivulation, cross, chain, wreath, braid, cat's cradle, knot, entangle, cloth, linen, muslin, cambric, crossing, crossed, matted, v, transverse, cross, cruciform, crucial, retiform, reticular, reticulated, areolar, cancellated, grated, barred, streaked, textile, crossbarred, cruciate, palmiped, secant, web-footed, cross, thwart, athwart, transversely, at grade, crosswise.Demonstration
N demonstration, proof, rigorous proof, conclusiveness, apodeixis, apodixis, probation, comprobation, logic of facts, experimentum crucis, argument, rigorous establishment, absolute establishment, conviction, cogency, (persuasion), demonstrating, demonstrative, demonstrable, probative, unanswerable, conclusive, apodictic, apodeictic, apodeictical, irresistible, irrefutable, irrefragable, necessary, categorical, decisive, crucial, demonstrated, proven, unconfuted, unanswered, unrefuted, evident, deducible, consequential, consectary, inferential, following, convincing, cogent, persuasive (believable), of course, in consequence, consequently, as a matter of course, necessarily, of necessity, probatum est, there is nothing more to be said, quod est demonstrandum, Q, E, D, it must follow, exitus acta probat.For further exploring for "crucial" in Webster Dictionary Online