Pivotal Meaning
/ˈpɪvɪtəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf, relating to, or being a pivot.
adjBeing of crucial importance; central, key.
Sentence Examples
He plays an important, almost pivotal, role.
Sami had a pivotal time in his life.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The unexpected discovery was a ____ moment in the history of science.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The discovery of DNA's structure was a ____ moment in the history of modern biology.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English pivot Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English pivotal From pivot + -al.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. It is a tax system that is pivotal in creating the increasing inequality that marks most advanced countries today […]."
— 2013 June 7, Joseph Stiglitz, “Globalisation is about taxes too”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 19:
""Crucially, HS2 is already playing a pivotal role in helping Britain's post-pandemic economic recovery."
— 2021 January 13, “Packham initiates new petition opposing HS2”, in RAIL, issue 922, page 12:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The unexpected discovery was a ____ moment in the history of science.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The discovery of DNA's structure was a ____ moment in the history of modern biology.