pivotal

3 definitions • 4 examples

central and important:

a pivotal figure/role/idea

important because other things depend on it:

She played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement.

if something is pivotal, it is very important because other things depend on it:

a pivotal moment/point The speech marked a pivotal moment in the World Bank's history.

Because immigrants do jobs that many people do not want to do, they play a pivotal role in the economy.