plural cruxes also cruces ˈkrü-ˌsēz How to pronounce crux (audio)
1
: a puzzling or difficult problem : an unsolved question
The origin of the word is a scholarly crux.
2
: an essential point requiring resolution or resolving an outcome
3
: a main or central feature (as of an argument)
… he discarded all but the essential cruxes of his argument.Carl Van Doren

Did you know?

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

the crux of the problem is that the school's current budget is totally inadequate
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The slate announcement catches the U.S. TV scene at a particular crux. John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Oct. 2024 The emotional crux of the show is Joan and Kelly, and each and every scene is just heartbreak. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024 Of course, the biggest challenge for any startup is gaining traction, and this challenge is even more pointed in a blockchain scenario, where network effects are the very crux of success. Nimrod Lehavi, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 That’s the philosophical crux at the center of the movie Hit Man, now playing in select theaters and streaming on Netflix June 7. Mekita Rivas, refinery29.com, 7 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for crux 

Word History

Etymology

Latin cruc-, crux cross, torture

First Known Use

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crux was in 1718

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near crux

Cite this Entry

“Crux.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crux. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

plural cruxes also cruces ˈkrü-ˌsēz How to pronounce crux (audio)
: the most important point
the crux of the problem
Etymology

from Latin crux "cross, torture, trouble" — related to cross, crucial, crucify

More from Merriam-Webster on crux

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!