Carl Van Doren
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In Latin, crux referred literally to an instrument of torture, often a cross or stake, and figuratively to the torture and misery inflicted by means of such an instrument. Crux eventually developed the sense of "a puzzling or difficult problem"; that was the first meaning that was used when the word entered English in the early 18th century. Later, in the late 19th century, crux began to be used more specifically to refer to an essential point of a legal case that required resolution before the case as a whole could be resolved. Today, the verdict on crux is that it can be used to refer to any important part of a problem or argument, inside or outside of the courtroom.
Examples of crux in a Sentence
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025
Bednar, the University of Minnesota law professor, says the legal crux of the issue lies in the Anti-Deficiency Act, which strictly limits the government's ability to promise expenditures that exceed what Congress has allocated.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
One crux is a continued focus on commercial quality films aimed at adult audiences and filmmakers who can deliver them.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 30 Dec. 2024
Narratively speaking, the story’s crux is an unlikely friendship.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crux
Cite this Entry
“Crux.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crux. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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