Dictionary

vital en · ADJ

Pronunciation

/ˈvaɪtəl/
vī'təl
(US) audio

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.

Meanings

Relating to or characteristic of life.
- But open converse is there none, ⁠So much the vital spirits sink ⁠To see the vacant chair, and think, ‘How good! how kind! and he is gone.’ 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 34:
- vital energies; vital functions; vital actions
Necessary to the continuation of life; being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.
- The brain is a vital organ.
- And doen the heavens afford him vitall food? 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 12:
- We have argued that organizatory agents are operative in all vital processes, processes that overstep the limits of the physicochemical; […] 1925, Seba Eldridge, The Organization of Life, page 164:
- Challenger breathed two or three times with enormous gulps, his lungs roaring as he drew in the vital gas. 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
Invigorating or life-giving.
Necessary to continued existence.
- The transition to farming was vital for the creation of civilisation.
Relating to the recording of life events.
- Birth, marriage and death certificates are vital records.
Very important.
- Vocabulary is a vital component of educational success in both first and second language contexts. 2018, Clarence Green, James Lambert, “Advancing disciplinary literacy through English for academic purposes: Discipline-specific wordlists, collocations and word families for eight secondary subjects”, in Journal of English for Academic Purposes, volume 35, →DOI, page 105:
- Typically for the 'get-on-with-it' era, the railway and military worked like demons to restore the vital rail link. The crater was rapidly filled in and the earth tamped solid, the wreckage was removed by breakdown trains, new rails and sleepers were rushed forward by willing hands, and US Army bulldozers piled in. By 2020 on the same day, both tracks were open for traffic again where there had been a gaping pit just hours before. 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 43:
- David Cameron insists that his latest communications data bill is “vital to counter terrorism”. Yet terror is mayhem. It is no threat to freedom. That threat is from counter-terror, from ministers capitulating to securocrats. 2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 2, page 23:
- It is vital that you don't forget to do your homework.
Containing life; living.
- spirits that live throughout, vital in every part 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- The dart […]pierced a vital part. 1715–1720, Homer, “Book V”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC:
- I ought to go upright and vital, and speak the rude truth in all ways. 1841, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”, in Essays: First Series:
Lively, having vitality
- Montreal is a charming vital city with a large lesbian and gay population which clusters around a neighborhood not far from the center of town. 1984 February 4, M. S., “Celles qui aiment: The Lesbians of Montreal”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 28, page 14:
Capable of living; in a state to live; viable.
- Pythagoras and Hippocrates […] affirming the birth of the seventh month to be vital. 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
most vital	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
more vital	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Translations (135)

sh žìvotan (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fi elintärkeä (invigorating or life-giving) · sq jetësor (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ca vital (necessary to the continuation of life) · tg ҳаётӣ (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fr vital (necessary to the continuation of life) · ca vital (very important) · it fondamentale (very important) · sh ви̏та̄лан (relating to, or characteristic of life) · kk өмірлік (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fr vital (relating to, or characteristic of life) · es vital (very important) · bg жи́знен (relating to, or characteristic of life) · bg жи́знен (relating to the recording of life events) · de lebenswichtig (necessary to the continuation of life) · eo vivodona (invigorating or life-giving) · he חִיּוּנִי (necessary to the continuation of life) · la vītālis (invigorating or life-giving) · ko 중요하다 (very important) · kk тіршілік (relating to, or characteristic of life) · cs životní (relating to, or characteristic of life) · eo civila (statuso) (relating to the recording of life events) · vi đời sống (relating to, or characteristic of life) · sh жѝвотан (relating to, or characteristic of life) · cs životně důležitý (necessary to continued existence) · eo vigliga (invigorating or life-giving) · be жыццёва ва́жны (necessary to the continuation of life) · ru необходи́мый (very important) · el ζωτικός (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fi elinkelpoinen (capable of living) · eo vivesenca (necessary to the continuation of life) · ko 생명의 (relating to, or characteristic of life) · uk життє́во важли́вий (necessary to the continuation of life) · ka სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (necessary to the continuation of life) · it vitale (very important) · eo nepra (necessary to continued existence) · nl vitaal (necessary to the continuation of life) · be жыццёвы (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ru жи́зненно ва́жный (necessary to continued existence) · eo gravega (very important) · uz hayotiy (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fi elintärkeä (necessary to the continuation of life) · ca vital (relating to, or characteristic of life) · es vital (necessary to the continuation of life) · ru насу́щный (necessary to continued existence) · ka სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (necessary to continued existence) · pt vital (necessary to the continuation of life) · fi elin- (relating to, or characteristic of life) · eo vivipova (capable of living) · nb livsviktig (relating to, or characteristic of life) · nb livsviktig (necessary to continued existence) · cs vitální (relating to, or characteristic of life) · hy կենսական (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fi vitaalinen (relating to, or characteristic of life) · de vital (necessary to the continuation of life) · ru насу́щный (necessary to the continuation of life) · az həyati (relating to, or characteristic of life) · eo vitala (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ro vital (relating to, or characteristic of life) · kk өмірдің (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ru жи́зненно ва́жный (necessary to the continuation of life) · sk vitálny (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fi tärkeä (very important) · cmn 生命的 (relating to, or characteristic of life) · gl vital (relating to, or characteristic of life) · la vītālis (relating to, or characteristic of life) · de essentiell (very important) · ka სასიცოცხლო (relating to, or characteristic of life) · fi elintärkeä (necessary to continued existence) · ka სასიცოცხლო (necessary to the continuation of life) · ru жи́зненно ва́жный (very important) · eo viv- (relating to, or characteristic of life) · bg жи́знено необходи́м (necessary to the continuation of life) · pt vital (very important) · vi sống còn (necessary to the continuation of life) · uk життє́во важли́вий (necessary to continued existence) · fi elämälle välttämätön (necessary to the continuation of life) · sl vitalen (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ky тиричилик (relating to, or characteristic of life) · nl essentieel (necessary to the continuation of life) · fa حیاتی (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ru насу́щный (very important) · mi waiwai (very important) · de lebenswichtig (necessary to continued existence) · sv livsviktig (necessary to the continuation of life) · bg жи́знен (capable of living) · fi olennainen (very important) · nb kjempeviktig (very important) · pl życiowy (relating to, or characteristic of life) · it vitale (necessary to the continuation of life) · ru жи́зненный (relating to, or characteristic of life) · it vitale (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ca vital (necessary to continued existence) · gl vital (necessary to the continuation of life) · fr vital (very important) · ar حَيَوِيّ (relating to, or characteristic of life) · bg жизненова́жен (necessary to the continuation of life) · sl životen (relating to, or characteristic of life) · pl witalny (relating to, or characteristic of life) · sh vȉtālan (relating to, or characteristic of life) · tr hayati (necessary to the continuation of life) · ca vital (relating to the recording of life events) · es vital (relating to, or characteristic of life) · nl doorslaggevend (necessary to the continuation of life) · am አስፈላጊ (very important) · ru жи́зненно необходи́мый (necessary to continued existence) · ar أَسَاسِيّ (necessary to the continuation of life) · ru жи́зненно необходи́мый (necessary to the continuation of life) · ca vital (invigorating or life-giving) · mk животен (relating to, or characteristic of life) · cs životně důležitý (necessary to the continuation of life) · de Lebens- (relating to, or characteristic of life) · cmn 重要 (very important) · bg жи́знено ва́жен (very important) · tr yaşamsal (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ru животво́рный (invigorating or life-giving) · fi elämäkerrallinen (relating to the recording of life events) · nl levens- (relating to, or characteristic of life) · bg животво́рен (invigorating or life-giving) · ka სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (very important) · mk витален (relating to, or characteristic of life) · nb livsoppholdende (invigorating or life-giving) · uk життє́вий (relating to, or characteristic of life) · nb vital (relating to, or characteristic of life) · nb levende (relating to the recording of life events) · uk життьови́й (relating to, or characteristic of life) · nb livsoppholdende (necessary to the continuation of life) · pl niezbędny do życia (necessary to the continuation of life) · bg вита́лен (relating to, or characteristic of life) · tr hayati (very important) · sk životný (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ka არსებითი (very important) · pt vital (relating to, or characteristic of life) · ru жи́зненный (relating to the recording of life events) · gl vital (very important)

vital en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

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Translations (135)