fulcrum

noun

ful·​crum ˈfu̇l-krəm  ˈfəl- 

plural fulcrums or fulcra ˈfu̇l-krə 

ˈfəl-

1

a

: prop

specifically : the support about which a lever turns

the camera moves on a fixed fulcrum, either horizontally (panning) or vertically (tilting)

—Gerald Mast

b

: one that supplies capability for action

he is … the reader's eyes and ears and the fulcrum of his judgment

—Bernard De Voto

2

: a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support

Did you know?

Fulcrum, which means "bedpost" in Latin, comes from the verb fulcire, which means "to prop." When the word fulcrum was first used in the 17th century, it referred to the point on which a lever or similar device (such as the oar of a boat) is supported. The literal use easily supported figurative use, and it didn't take long for the word to develop a meaning referring to one deemed essential to the function or development of something. Despite fulcrum's multiple senses, the word's meanings have kept a steady theme. In zoology, fulcrum refers to a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support, such as the joint supporting a bird's wing.

Examples of fulcrum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the greatest worries was that Harris might ultimately fall short with workers in Midwestern factory towns, the kinds of places that Klain described as the fulcrum of the race—Flint, Manitowoc, Altoona. —Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024

Interestingly, the artistic fulcrum for these designs ended up being a painter even older than Goya: Hieronymus Bosch and his famed oak panel triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, which Clark and Da Corte also saw at the Prado. —Juliet Izon, Architectural Digest, 24 Sep. 2024

LaBelle is the film's fulcrum, portraying Michaels as a man bursting with self-confidence but who finds himself in way over his head. —Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2024

The enduring appeal of the Grateful Dead lies in its ability to exist on the fulcrum between newness and repetition. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Latin, bedpost, from fulcire to prop — more at balk entry 2

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

fulcrum

noun

ful·​crum ˈfu̇l-krəm  ˈfəl- 

plural fulcrums or fulcra -krə 

: the support about which a lever turns