MEANING
So important that the outcome of something depends on it.
Use it for
identifying a role crucial to an outcome; distinguishing consequential influence from mere prominence; describing a decision that strongly shapes what followsMarks a contribution on which an outcome depends, not merely a visible or frequently mentioned factor. Academic functions: Significance / Scope, Causation / Relationships.
Words that belong together
- pivotal role
- pivotal decision
- pivotal moment
On the page
The historian argues that the funding decision was pivotal because it changed which projects could proceed.
The analysis distinguishes the institution’s pivotal role from its greater visibility in public discussion.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- pivotal
Usage notes
Adjective: pivotal role, pivotal decision. Normally non-gradable; central and decisive are related words with different emphases. Register: formal. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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