Crucial means extremely important or necessary because it will strongly affect the result of something. A crucial moment or detail can change the whole outcome.
From Medieval Latin *crucialis* “cross-shaped, relating to a cross,” from *crux* “cross.” It may have come from the idea of a ‘crucial test’ that decides between two crossing possibilities, like a crossroad.
Many ‘crucial’ moments are small, almost invisible decisions that later turn out to matter a lot—who you talk to, what you say yes or no to. Thinking of them as mini crossroads helps you slow down when something feels slightly more important than usual.
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