Standard Lemma guide

pivotal

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpɪvɪtəl/
  • UK: /ˈpɪvətəl/
  • Australian, Canada, US: /ˈpɪvɪtəl/
  • Australian, Canada, US: [ˈpɪvɪɾəl]
  • Australian, Canada, US: /ˈpɪvətəl/
  • Australian, Canada, US: [ˈpɪvəɾəl]
  • English: as a second or foreign language Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P IH1 V AH0 T AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, relating to, or being a pivot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Being of crucial importance; central, key.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: polar

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

being of crucial importance- Henry Kissinger

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a pivotal event
  • Its pivotal location has also exposed it to periodic invasions
  • the polar events of this study
  • a polar principal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: polar

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From pivot + -al.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: առանցքային (aṙancʻkʻayin) — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Bulgarian: осов (osov) — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Bulgarian: опорен (oporen) — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Greek: αξονικός (axonikós) — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Macedonian: сто́жерен (stóžeren) — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Polish: sworzniowy — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Polish: trzpieniowy — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Polish: rdzeniowy — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Russian: опорный (opornyj) — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Spanish: pivotal — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Swedish: pivå- — of, relating to, or being a pivot
  • Armenian: առանցքային (aṙancʻkʻayin) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Bulgarian: централен (centralen) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Bulgarian: основен (osnoven) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Dutch: cruciaal — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Dutch: doorslaggevend — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Finnish: keskeinen — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Finnish: ratkaiseva — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Finnish: käänteentekevä — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • French: central — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • French: crucial — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • French: déterminant — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • French: essentiel — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: entscheidend — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: ausschlaggebend — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: Dreh- — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: Zapfen- — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: Angel- — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: Zentral- — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: Schlüssel- — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • German: Kardinal- — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Greek: καθοριστικός (kathoristikós) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Greek: σημαντικός (simantikós) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Greek: καίριος (kaírios) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Italian: cruciale — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Italian: fondamentale — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Italian: centrale — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Macedonian: клу́чен (klúčen) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Macedonian: о́сновен (ósnoven) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Macedonian: гла́вен (gláven) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Polish: kluczowy — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Portuguese: pivotal — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Portuguese: crucial — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Russian: основной (osnovnoj) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Russian: центральный (centralʹnyj) — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Spanish: crucial — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Spanish: pivotal — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Swedish: central — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Swedish: väsentlig — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Swedish: avgörande — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Swedish: huvudsaklig — being of crucial importance; central, key
  • Swedish: nyckel- — being of crucial importance; central, key