CRUCIAL

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does crucial mean? 

• CRUCIAL (adjective)
  The adjective CRUCIAL has 3 senses:

1. of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis

2. having crucial relevance

3. of the greatest importance

  Familiarity information: CRUCIAL used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRUCIAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis

Synonyms:

crucial; important

Context example:

a crucial issue for women

Similar:

critical; decisive (forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis)

life-and-death; life-or-death (vitally important)

pivotal; polar (being of crucial importance)

Also:

critical (being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency)

decisive (determining or having the power to determine an outcome)

essential (basic and fundamental)

Antonym:

noncrucial (of little importance; not decisive)

Derivation:

cruciality (a state of critical urgency)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having crucial relevance

Context example:

relevant testimony

Similar:

material (directly relevant to a matter especially a law case)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Of the greatest importance

Synonyms:

all-important; all important; crucial; essential; of the essence

Context example:

in chess cool nerves are of the essence

Similar:

important; of import (of great significance or value)

Derivation:

cruciality (a state of critical urgency)

 Context examples 

CD19 functions as an adaptor protein for Src family kinase amplification, crucial for antigen receptor-induced signal transduction.

(CD19 Antigen, NCI Thesaurus)

They are crucial for morphogenesis and synapse formation, but also are involved in tumor invasion.

(Cadherin, NCI Thesaurus)

C5a is a 74-amino acid peptide that includes a carboxy-terminal arginine crucial for its spasmogenic activity and a carbohydrate moiety.

(C5a, NCI Thesaurus)

Cdc25 is a protein phosphatase responsible for dephosphorylating and activating cdc2, a crucial step in regulating the entry of all eukaryotic cells into the M-phase of the cell cycle.

(CDC25 and CHK1 Regulatory Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

This may lead to a loss of activity of enzymes that are essential for cellular metabolism, organization of cell wall structure and other crucial cell functions.

(Ciclopirox, NCI Thesaurus)

The acquisition of lysosomal proteases and release of reactive oxygen species are crucial for digestion of engulfed materials in phagosomes.

(Fc Gamma Receptor-Mediated Phagocytosis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

All of these pathways generate a crucial enzymatic activity that, in turn, generates the effector molecules of complement.

(Complement and Coagulation Cascade, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Integrin alpha5beta1 is expressed on endothelial cells and plays a crucial role in endothelial cell adhesion and migration.

(ATN-161, NCI Thesaurus)

The ryanodine receptor plays a crucial part in electromechanical coupling by control of release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum into the cytosol.

(Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Both VEGF and Ang2 are upregulated in a variety of cancer cell types and play a crucial role in angiogenesis.

(Ang2/VEGF-Binding Peptides-Antibody Fusion Protein CVX-241, NCI Thesaurus)