VITAL Synonyms: 335 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'vital' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of vital are cardinal , essential , and fundamental . While all these words mean "so important as to be indispensable," vital suggests something that is necessary to a thing's continued existence or operation. // cut off from vital supplies

Q: When might 'cardinal' be a better fit than 'vital'?

In some situations, the words cardinal and vital are roughly equivalent. However, cardinal suggests something on which an outcome turns or depends. // a cardinal rule in buying a home

Q: When can 'essential' be used instead of 'vital'?

While the synonyms essential and vital are close in meaning, essential implies belonging to the very nature of a thing and therefore being incapable of removal without destroying the thing itself or its character. // conflict is essential in drama

Q: Where would 'fundamental' be a reasonable alternative to 'vital'?

While in some cases nearly identical to vital , fundamental applies to something that is a foundation without which an entire system or complex whole would collapse. // fundamental principles of algebra

vital

adjective

ˈvī-tᵊl

Definition of vital next

as in energetic

having active strength of body or mind a man who remained vital well into his 90s

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in active

having much high-spirited energy and movement the child is vital and active again after being sick

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in essential

impossible to do without I forgot one vital ingredient, and now the biscuits taste strange

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as in lethal

likely to cause or capable of causing death received a vital wound in the abdomen

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as in crucial

of the greatest possible importance a matter that is vital to our national security

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as in refreshing

having a renewing effect on the state of the body or mind after the long, dreary winter, we welcomed the vital rays of the summer sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word vital different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of vital are cardinal, essential, and fundamental. While all these words mean "so important as to be indispensable," vital suggests something that is necessary to a thing's continued existence or operation.

cut off from vital supplies

When might cardinal be a better fit than vital?

In some situations, the words cardinal and vital are roughly equivalent. However, cardinal suggests something on which an outcome turns or depends.

a cardinal rule in buying a home

When can essential be used instead of vital?

While the synonyms essential and vital are close in meaning, essential implies belonging to the very nature of a thing and therefore being incapable of removal without destroying the thing itself or its character.

conflict is essential in drama

Where would fundamental be a reasonable alternative to vital?

While in some cases nearly identical to vital, fundamental applies to something that is a foundation without which an entire system or complex whole would collapse.

fundamental principles of algebra

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of vital The team hoped the animals could particularly help within bringing to the surface vital, fertilizing microorganisms such as endosymbiotic rhizobial bacteria and Mycorrhizal fungi. —

Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024 One of the most, if not the most, vital parts of election night is a famous number: 270. —

Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024 SpaceX has become an increasingly vital partner to NASA and the U.S. Defense Department, with contracts worth billions. —

Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024 Trump Declines to Rule Out Reviving Family Separations During CNN Town Hall At the same time, the state had long been a destination for immigrants of color—Mexican, Filipino, and Japanese, among others—all vital to the agricultural industry that has always drawn foreign workers. —

Eladio B. Bobadilla / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vital

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vital

Adjective

An energetic approach to health and wealth will pay off.

Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Musk has been among Trump’s most energetic supporters.

David Ingram, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024