- 1very important for the final result of a particular situation a decisive factor/victory/battle/action Climate was a decisive factor in establishing where the tournament should be held. She has played a decisive role in the peace negotiations. a decisive step (= an important action that will change a situation) toward a cleaner environment Thesaurusessential
- vital
- crucial
- critical
- decisive
- indispensable
- essential extremely important and completely necessary, because without it something cannot exist, be made, or be successful:Experience is essential for this job.
- vital essential:The police play a vital role in our society.
- These words have the same meaning but there can be a slight difference in tone. Essential is used to state a fact or an opinion with authority. Vital is often used when there is some anxiety felt about something, or a need to persuade someone that a fact or an opinion is true, right, or important. Vital is less often used in negative statements:It was vital to show that he was not afraid. Money is not vital to happiness.
- crucial extremely important because a particular situation or activity depends on it:It is crucial that we get this right.
- critical extremely important because a particular situation or activity depends on it:Your decision is critical to our future.
- decisive of the greatest importance in affecting the final result of a particular situation:She played a decisive role in the peace negotiations.
- indispensable essential; too important to be without:This database has become an indispensable resource in our research.
- essential/vital/crucial/critical/decisive/indispensable for something
- essential/vital/crucial/critical/indispensable to something
- essential/vital/crucial/critical that…
- essential/vital/crucial/critical to do something
- a(n) essential/vital/crucial/critical/decisive/indispensable part/role/factor
- of vital/crucial/critical/decisive >importance>
- absolutely essential/vital/crucial/critical/decisive/indispensable
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- 2able to decide something quickly and with confidence decisive management The government must take decisive action on gun control. opposite indecisive decide verbdecision noun (≠indecision)decisive adjective (≠indecisive)undecided adjective
adverb She shook her head decisively.See decisive in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: decisive