vital
pronunciation
How to pronounce vital in British English:
UK [ˈvaɪtl]
How to pronounce vital in American English:
US [ˈvaɪtl]
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- Adjective:
- urgently needed; absolutely necessary
- performing an essential function in the living body
- full of spirit
- manifesting or characteristic of life
Word Origin
- vital
- vital: [14] Vital comes via Old French vital from Latin vītālis. This was a derivative of vīta ‘life’. And vīta went back ultimately to Latin vīvus ‘living’, source of English vivacious, vivid, etc. Viable [19] is also descended from vīta, and etymologically means ‘capable of life’.=> viable, vitamin, vivid
- vital (adj.)
- late 14c., "of or manifesting life," from Latin vitalis "of or belonging to life," from vita "life," related to vivere "to live," from PIE root *gweie- (1) "to live" (see bio-). The sense of "necessary or important" is from 1610s, via the notion of "essential to life" (late 15c.). Vital capacity recorded from 1852. Related: Vitally.
Example
- 1. The china-brazil connection is increasingly vital .
- 2. And who needs to learn this vital lesson now ?
- 3. It plays a vital part in many bodily functions .
- 4. Mussolini met this vital problem in various ways .
- 5. They provide useful , and for some people vital , extra services .