adj
Meaning 1
Relating to or characteristic of life.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- vital energies; vital functions; vital actions
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lifely
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
vital
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.
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vī'təl
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/ˈvaɪtəl/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -aɪtəl
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CMU ARPABET: V AY1 T AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Necessary to the continuation of life; being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The brain is a vital organ.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Invigorating or life-giving.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Necessary to continued existence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The transition to farming was vital for the creation of civilisation.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Relating to the recording of life events.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Birth, marriage and death certificates are vital records.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Very important.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- It is vital that you don't forget to do your homework.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: crucial, necessary, significant, big, central, consequential, critical, epochful, essential, extraordinary, fateful, fatefraught, fatesome, heavy, pivotal, high on the totem pole, historic, innegligible, key, life-or-death, meaningful, noted, noticeable, observable, outstanding, paramount, pertinent, relevant, remarkable, salient, unignorable, valuable, vital, weighty
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 7
Containing life; living.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: extant, live, kicking, above ground, alive, alive and kicking, alive and well, animate, animated, lively, livesome, living, quick, still with us, surviving, undeceased, vital, vitalic
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 8
Lively, having vitality
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 9
Capable of living; in a state to live; viable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 10
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 11
manifesting or characteristic of life
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a vital, living organism
- vital signs
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 12
full of spirit
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a dynamic full of life woman
- a vital and charismatic leader
- this whole lively world
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: full of life, lively
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 13
performing an essential function in the living body
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- vital organs
- blood and other vital fluids
- the loss of vital heat in shock
- a vital spot
- life-giving love and praise
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: life-sustaining
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 14
urgently needed; absolutely necessary
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a critical element of the plan
- critical medical supplies
- vital for a healthy society
- of vital interest
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: critical
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English vital, from Old French vital, from Latin vītālis (“of life, life-giving”), from vīta (“life”), from vīvō (“to live”). Doublet of jiva and quick.
Across languages
Translations
135 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Albanian: jetësor — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Arabic: حَيَوِيّ (ḥayawiyy) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Armenian: կենսական (kensakan) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Azerbaijani: həyati — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Belarusian: жыццёвы (žyccjóvy) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Bulgarian: жи́знен (žíznen) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Bulgarian: вита́лен (vitálen) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Catalan: vital — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Chinese Mandarin: 生命的 (shēngmìng de) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Czech: životní — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Czech: vitální — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Dutch: levens- — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Esperanto: vitala — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Esperanto: viv- — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Finnish: vitaalinen — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Finnish: elin- — relating to, or characteristic of life
- French: vital — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Galician: vital — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Georgian: სასიცოცხლო (sasicocxlo) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- German: Lebens- — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Greek: ζωτικός (zotikós) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Italian: vitale — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Kazakh: өмірлік (ömırlık) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Kazakh: өмірдің (ömırdıñ) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Kazakh: тіршілік (tırşılık) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Korean: 생명의 (saengmyeong-ui) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Kyrgyz: тиричилик (tiricilik) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Latin: vītālis — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Macedonian: животен (životen) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Macedonian: витален (vitalen) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Norwegian Bokmål: vital — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Norwegian Bokmål: livsviktig — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Persian: حیاتی (hayâti) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Polish: życiowy — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Polish: witalny — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Portuguese: vital — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Romanian: vital — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Russian: жи́зненный (žíznennyj) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Serbo-Croatian: жѝвотан — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Serbo-Croatian: ви̏та̄лан — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Serbo-Croatian: žìvotan — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Serbo-Croatian: vȉtālan — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Slovak: životný — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Slovak: vitálny — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Slovene: životen — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Slovene: vitalen — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Spanish: vital — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Tajik: ҳаётӣ (hayoti) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Turkish: yaşamsal — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Ukrainian: життє́вий (žyttjévyj) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Ukrainian: життьови́й (žyttʹovýj) — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Uzbek: hayotiy — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Vietnamese: đời sống — relating to, or characteristic of life
- Arabic: أَسَاسِيّ (ʔasāsiyy) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Belarusian: жыццёва ва́жны (žyccjóva vážny) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Bulgarian: жи́знено необходи́м (žízneno neobhodím) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Bulgarian: жизненова́жен (žiznenovážen) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Catalan: vital — necessary to the continuation of life
- Czech: životně důležitý — necessary to the continuation of life
- Dutch: doorslaggevend — necessary to the continuation of life
- Dutch: essentieel — necessary to the continuation of life
- Dutch: vitaal — necessary to the continuation of life
- Esperanto: vivesenca — necessary to the continuation of life
- Finnish: elintärkeä — necessary to the continuation of life
- Finnish: elämälle välttämätön — necessary to the continuation of life
- French: vital — necessary to the continuation of life
- Galician: vital — necessary to the continuation of life
- Georgian: სასიცოცხლო (sasicocxlo) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Georgian: სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani) — necessary to the continuation of life
- German: lebenswichtig — necessary to the continuation of life
- German: vital — necessary to the continuation of life
- Hebrew: חִיּוּנִי (ẖiyuní) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Italian: vitale — necessary to the continuation of life
- Norwegian Bokmål: livsoppholdende — necessary to the continuation of life
- Polish: niezbędny do życia — necessary to the continuation of life
- Portuguese: vital — necessary to the continuation of life
- Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Russian: насу́щный (nasúščnyj) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Russian: жи́зненно необходи́мый (žíznenno neobxodímyj) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Spanish: vital — necessary to the continuation of life
- Swedish: livsviktig — necessary to the continuation of life
- Turkish: hayati — necessary to the continuation of life
- Ukrainian: життє́во важли́вий (žyttjévo važlývyj) — necessary to the continuation of life
- Vietnamese: sống còn — necessary to the continuation of life
- Bulgarian: животво́рен (životvóren) — invigorating or life-giving
- Catalan: vital — invigorating or life-giving
- Esperanto: vigliga — invigorating or life-giving
- Esperanto: vivodona — invigorating or life-giving
- Finnish: elintärkeä — invigorating or life-giving
- Latin: vītālis — invigorating or life-giving
- Norwegian Bokmål: livsoppholdende — invigorating or life-giving
- Russian: животво́рный (životvórnyj) — invigorating or life-giving
- Catalan: vital — necessary to continued existence
- Czech: životně důležitý — necessary to continued existence
- Esperanto: nepra — necessary to continued existence
- Finnish: elintärkeä — necessary to continued existence
- Georgian: სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani) — necessary to continued existence
- German: lebenswichtig — necessary to continued existence
- Norwegian Bokmål: livsviktig — necessary to continued existence
- Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj) — necessary to continued existence
- Russian: насу́щный (nasúščnyj) — necessary to continued existence
- Russian: жи́зненно необходи́мый (žíznenno neobxodímyj) — necessary to continued existence
- Ukrainian: життє́во важли́вий (žyttjévo važlývyj) — necessary to continued existence
- Bulgarian: жи́знен (žíznen) — relating to the recording of life events
- Catalan: vital — relating to the recording of life events
- Esperanto: civila (statuso) — relating to the recording of life events
- Finnish: elämäkerrallinen — relating to the recording of life events
- Norwegian Bokmål: levende — relating to the recording of life events
- Russian: жи́зненный (žíznennyj) — relating to the recording of life events
- Amharic: አስፈላጊ (ʾäsfälagi) — very important
- Bulgarian: жи́знено ва́жен (žízneno vážen) — very important
- Catalan: vital — very important
- Chinese Mandarin: 重要 (zhòngyào) — very important
- Esperanto: gravega — very important
- Finnish: tärkeä — very important
- Finnish: olennainen — very important
- French: vital — very important
- Galician: vital — very important
- Georgian: სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani) — very important
- Georgian: არსებითი (arsebiti) — very important
- German: essentiell — very important
- Italian: vitale — very important
- Italian: fondamentale — very important
- Korean: 중요하다 (jung'yohada) — very important
- Māori: waiwai — very important
- Norwegian Bokmål: kjempeviktig — very important
- Portuguese: vital — very important
- Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj) — very important
- Russian: насу́щный (nasúščnyj) — very important
- Russian: необходи́мый (neobxodímyj) — very important
- Spanish: vital — very important
- Turkish: hayati — very important
- Bulgarian: жи́знен (žíznen) — capable of living
- Esperanto: vivipova — capable of living
- Finnish: elinkelpoinen — capable of living
Real reading context