vital
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to life.
vital processes.
-
having remarkable energy, liveliness, or force of personality.
a vital leader.
-
being the seat or source of life.
the vital organs.
-
necessary to life.
vital fluids.
-
necessary to the existence, continuance, or well-being of something; indispensable; essential.
vital for a healthy society.
-
affecting the existence, well-being, truth, etc., of something.
a vital error.
-
of critical importance.
vital decisions.
-
destructive to life; deadly.
a vital wound.
adjective
-
essential to maintain life
the lungs perform a vital function
-
forceful, energetic, or lively
a vital person
-
of, relating to, having, or displaying life
a vital organism
-
indispensable or essential
books vital to this study
-
of great importance; decisive
a vital game
-
archaic influencing the course of life, esp negatively
a vital treachery
noun
-
(plural)
-
the bodily organs, such as the brain, liver, heart, lungs, etc, that are necessary to maintain life
-
the organs of reproduction, esp the male genitals
-
-
(plural) the essential elements of anything
Other Word Forms
- nonvital adjective
- nonvitally adverb
- nonvitalness noun
- quasi-vital adjective
- quasi-vitally adverb
- supervital adjective
- supervitally adverb
- supervitalness noun
- unvital adjective
- unvitally adverb
- unvitalness noun
- vitally adverb
- vitalness noun
Etymology
Origin of vital
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin vītālis, equivalent to vīt(a) “life” (derivative of vīvere “to live”; akin to Greek bioûn, Sanskrit jīvati “(he) lives,” English quick ( def. ) ) + -ālis -al 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bombings have also seen the vital Strait of Hormuz -- through which around 20 percent of global seaborne oil passes -- effectively shut and several ships attacked, fanning supply fears.
From Barron's
Unlike some of its competitors, the Atlanta-based company has not only marketed its plate readers to law enforcement as a vital crime-fighting tool, but aggressively pitched its product to private citizens, experts say.
From Los Angeles Times
Linas said the spraying is “destroying these vital ecosystems” and posing health threats for people who live nearby.
From Los Angeles Times
They act as messengers, telling our cells what to do, and play vital roles in our skin health, immune system and helping to control our hormones.
From BBC
There is also a worry about the economic impact of blockages to the Strait of Hormuz – a vital artery of world trade and oil shipments which sits below Iran.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
