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

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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

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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 Advertisement Balter said the fliers are being distributed for public awareness and to help ensure people most likely interacting with animals had vital information. —

Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024 Discussions on host and executive producer LeVar Burton’s casting leads to introspective ruminations on the vital need for Black male representation in the early ’80s. —

Courtney Howard, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024 The Panama Canal is a vital 51-mile-long passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. —

George Petras, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024 Stolarz has been vital to the Leafs’ 17-9-2 record so far this season. —

Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vital

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vital

Adjective

This adaptation is especially significant given the energetic limitations of the deep sea; by luring prey rather than actively hunting, the anglerfish minimizes energy expenditure—a critical advantage in a resource-scarce ecosystem.

Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Bleachers, the energetic pop band led by Taylor Swift producer Jack Antonoff, played Connecticut a few months ago at the Soundside Festival in Bridgeport, joining that festival when Queens of the Stone Age had to drop off the bill.

Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Dec. 2024