From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishvitalvi‧tal /ˈvaɪtl/ ●●● W2 adjective 1 IMPORTANTNEEDextremely important and necessary for something to succeed or exist SYN crucial The work she does is absolutely vital.vital to These measures are vital to national security.vital for Regular exercise is vital for your health.it is vital (that) It is vital that you keep accurate records.it is vital to do something It is vital to keep accurate records. It is vital to be honest with your children. The tourist industry is of vital importance to the national economy. Richardson played a vital role in the team’s success. The samples could give scientists vital information about long-term changes in the Earth’s atmosphere.► see thesaurus at important, necessary2 ATTRACTfull of energy in a way that is exciting and attractive Rodgers and Hart’s music sounds as fresh and vital as the day it was written.3 [only before noun]HBH necessary in order to keep you alive the body’s vital processes vital organs (=heart, lungs etc)4 → vital signsCOLLOCATIONSadverbsabsolutely vitalVitamins are absolutely vital for good health.nounsa vital role/partNurses play a vital role in hospitals and surgeries.a vital part/elementLearning to play with other children is a vital part of growing up.a vital ingredient/componentInvolving teachers in making decisions is a vital ingredient in raising morale.vital informationThe radio was a source of vital information on sea and weather conditions.vital evidenceThe vital evidence contained in the file had disappeared.a vital source of somethingThe forest was a vital source of timber.phrasessomething is of vital importanceReading is of vital importance in language learning.
Examples from the Corpus
vital• In this job, the ability to remain calm is vital.• The pathogen could disrupt these vital cells, which would cause the capillaries to become leaky.• The man got away but he may have left a vital clue.• Regular exercise is vital for your health.• a strong, vital man• The division occurred on the day of a vital meeting of the 140 members of the Janata Dal parliamentary party.• Schools are a vital part of American neighborhoods.• The European Space Agency said that a vital piece of equipment on the craft had stopped functioning.• nurses, police officers and other workers who provide vital services• It is vital that leaking gas pipes are fixed immediately.• It is vital to match the software to the task, not the other way around.• His evidence was vital to the defence case.• Ethanol interferes with many of the reactions vital to the life of a cell.vital information• In both cases it is the position of the lips that conveys much of the vital information.• So we rely on instruments and probes to provide vital information.• The Commissions of Inquiry Act was to be amended to prevent the withholding of vital information.• The air samples could give scientists vital information about long-term changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere.• She does not work in isolation, and poor records will deprive others involved in teaching of vital information about the student.• We hope that you will continue to provide us with this vital information as we embark together on the second piloting year.• All night long, serious, important matters were addressed; vital information was exchanged.• I made sure the vital information was given out as simply as possible, without any of the accepted police jargon.vital organs• In a proportion of cases it results from massive injuries to the chest and vital organs.• In the process this helped to balance the forward weight of the rib-cage housing the creature's vital organs.• The announcer explains that by attacking the central nervous system it paralyzes the vital organs.• The second bullet entered his stomach and damaged vital organs.• Their essential feature is that they misdirect the enemy's attack, so that it fails to damage any vital organs.• Blood supply to the vital organs can be more accurately measured by a central venous pressure line.• But if tumour cells spread, a process called metastasis, they can form tumours in vital organs such as the lungs.• The vital organs, the stomach, the intestines, the lungs and the liver, were withdrawn carefully and whole.Origin vital (1300-1400) Old French Latin vitalis “of life”, from vita “life” 