vital

See also: Vital and vítal

English

Etymology

From Middle English vital, from Old French vital, from Latin vītālis (“of life, life-giving”), from vīta (“life”), from vīvō (“I live”). Doublet of jiva and quick.

Pronunciation

• enPR: vī'təl, IPA^(key): /ˈvaɪtəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪtəl

Adjective

vital (comparative more vital, superlative most vital)

1. Relating to, or characteristic of life.

   Synonym: lifely

   vital energies; vital functions; vital actions

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XX, page 34:

     But open converse is there none,
     ⁠So much the vital spirits sink
     ⁠To see the vacant chair, and think,
     ‘How good! how kind! and he is gone.’

2. Necessary to the continuation of life; being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.

   The brain is a vital organ.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 12:

     And doen the heavens afford him vitall food?

   • 1925, Seba Eldridge, The Organization of Life, page 164:

     We have argued that organizatory agents are operative in all vital processes, processes that overstep the limits of the physicochemical; […]

   • 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     Challenger breathed two or three times with enormous gulps, his lungs roaring as he drew in the vital gas.

3. Invigorating or life-giving.
4. Necessary to continued existence.

   The transition to farming was vital for the creation of civilisation.

5. Relating to the recording of life events.

   Birth, marriage and death certificates are vital records.

6. Very important.

   Synonyms: crucial, necessary, significant; see also Thesaurus:important

   It is vital that you don't forget to do your homework.

   • 2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly‎^[1], volume 188, number 2, page 23:

     David Cameron insists that his latest communications data bill is “vital to counter terrorism”. Yet terror is mayhem. It is no threat to freedom. That threat is from counter-terror, from ministers capitulating to securocrats.

   • 2018, Clarence Green, James Lambert, “Advancing disciplinary literacy through English for academic purposes: Discipline-specific wordlists, collocations and word families for eight secondary subjects”, in Journal of English for Academic Purposes, volume 35, →DOI, page 105:

     Vocabulary is a vital component of educational success in both first and second language contexts.

   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 43:

     Typically for the 'get-on-with-it' era, the railway and military worked like demons to restore the vital rail link. The crater was rapidly filled in and the earth tamped solid, the wreckage was removed by breakdown trains, new rails and sleepers were rushed forward by willing hands, and US Army bulldozers piled in. By 2020 on the same day, both tracks were open for traffic again where there had been a gaping pit just hours before.

7. Containing life; living.

   Synonyms: extant, live, kicking; see also Thesaurus:alive

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     spirits that live throughout, vital in every part

   • 1841, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”, in Essays: First Series:

     I ought to go upright and vital, and speak the rude truth in all ways.

   • 1715–1720, Homer, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “Book V”, in The Iliad of Homer, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC:

     The dart […] pierced a vital part.

8. Capable of living; in a state to live; viable.
   • 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:

     Pythagoras and Hippocrates […] affirming the birth of the seventh month to be vital.

Antonyms

• mortal

Derived terms

• élan vital
• noeud vital
• vital air
• vital capacity
• vital effect
• vital force
• vital function
• vital organ
• vital sign
• vital signs
• vital spark
• vital statistic
• vital statistics

 

Related terms

• devive
• revive
• survive
• viable
• vitality
• vitals
• vivid

 

Translations

relating to, or characteristic of life

• Arabic: حَيَوِيّ (ḥayawiyy)
• Armenian: կենսական (hy) (kensakan)
• Azerbaijani: həyati
• Belarusian: жыццёвы (žyccjóvy)
• Bulgarian: жи́знен (bg) (žíznen), вита́лен (bg) (vitálen)
• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 生命的 (zh) (shēngmìng de)

• Czech: životní (cs), vitální (cs)
• Dutch: levens- (nl)
• Finnish: vitaalinen, elin- (fi)
• French: vital (fr)
• Galician: vital (gl)
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლო (sasicocxlo)
• German: Lebens- (de)
• Greek: ζωτικός (el) (zotikós)
• Italian: vitale (it)
• Kazakh: өмірлік (ömırlık), өмірдің (ömırdıñ), тіршілік (tırşılık)
• Korean: 생명의 (ko) (saengmyeong-ui)
• Kyrgyz: тиричилик (ky) (tiricilik)
• Latin: vītālis
• Macedonian: животен (životen), витален (vitalen)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: vital, livsviktig

• Persian: حیاتی (fa) (hayâti)
• Polish: życiowy (pl), witalny (pl)
• Portuguese: vital (pt)
• Romanian: vital (ro)
• Russian: жи́зненный (ru) (žíznennyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: жѝвотан, ви̏та̄лан

  Roman: žìvotan (sh), vȉtālan (sh)

• Slovak: životný, vitálny (sk)
• Slovene: životen, vitalen
• Spanish: vital (es)
• Tajik: ҳаётӣ (tg) (hayotī)
• Turkish: yaşamsal (tr)
• Ukrainian: життє́вий (žyttjévyj), життьови́й (žyttʹovýj)
• Uzbek: hayotiy (uz)
• Vietnamese: đời sống (vi)

necessary to the continuation of life

• Arabic: أَسَاسِيّ (ar) (ʔasāsiyy)
• Belarusian: жыццёва ва́жны (žyccjóva vážny)
• Bulgarian: жи́знено необходи́м (žízneno neobhodím), жизненова́жен (žiznenovážen)
• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Czech: životně důležitý
• Dutch: doorslaggevend (nl), essentieel (nl), vitaal (nl)
• Finnish: elintärkeä, elämälle välttämätön
• French: vital (fr)
• Galician: vital (gl)
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლო (sasicocxlo), სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani)
• German: lebenswichtig (de), vital (de)
• Hebrew: חִיּוּנִי (he) m (ẖiyuní)
• Italian: vitale (it)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: livsoppholdende

• Polish: niezbędny do życia
• Portuguese: vital (pt)
• Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj), насу́щный (ru) (nasúščnyj), жи́зненно необходи́мый (žíznenno neobxodímyj)
• Spanish: vital (es)
• Swedish: livsviktig (sv)
• Turkish: hayati (tr)
• Ukrainian: життє́во важли́вий (žyttjévo važlývyj)
• Vietnamese: sống còn (vi)

invigorating or life-giving

• Bulgarian: животво́рен (bg) (životvóren)
• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Finnish: elintärkeä
• Latin: vītālis
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: livsoppholdende

• Russian: животво́рный (ru) (životvórnyj)

necessary to continued existence

• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Czech: životně důležitý
• Finnish: elintärkeä
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani)
• German: lebenswichtig (de)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: livsviktig

• Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj), насу́щный (ru) (nasúščnyj), жи́зненно необходи́мый (žíznenno neobxodímyj)
• Ukrainian: життє́во важли́вий (žyttjévo važlývyj)

relating to the recording of life events

• Bulgarian: жи́знен (bg) (žíznen)
• Catalan: vital (ca)
• Finnish: elämäkerrallinen
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: levende (no)

• Russian: жи́зненный (ru) (žíznennyj)

very important

• Bulgarian: жи́знено ва́жен (žízneno vážen)
• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 重要 (zh) (zhòngyào)

• Finnish: tärkeä (fi), olennainen (fi)
• French: vital (fr)
• Galician: vital (gl)
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani), არსებითი (ka) (arsebiti)
• German: essentiell (de)
• Italian: vitale (it), fondamentale (it)
• Korean: 중요하다 (ko) (jung'yohada)
• Maori: waiwai
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kjempeviktig

• Portuguese: vital (pt)
• Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj), насу́щный (ru) (nasúščnyj), необходи́мый (ru) (neobxodímyj)
• Spanish: vital (es)
• Turkish: hayati (tr)

containing life — see living

capable of living

• Bulgarian: жи́знен (bg) (žíznen)
• Finnish: elinkelpoinen

Further reading

• “vital”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “vital”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “vital”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [biˈtal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencian) [viˈtal]

Adjective

vital m or f (masculine and feminine plural vitals)

1. vital

Related terms

• vida
• vitalitat

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French vital, from Latin vītālis (“of life, life-giving”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vi.tal/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophones: vitale, vitales

Adjective

vital (feminine vitale, masculine plural vitaux, feminine plural vitales)

1. vital

Derived terms

• nœud vital
• pronostic vital

Related terms

• vitalité
• vie

Further reading

• “vital”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Galician

Etymology

From Latin vītālis (“of life, life-giving”).

Adjective

vital m or f (plural vitais)

1. vital (relating to, or characteristic of life)
2. vital, important, necessary

Related terms

• vida
• vitalidade

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vītālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /viˈtaːl/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

vital (strong nominative masculine singular vitaler, comparative vitaler, superlative am vitalsten)

1. lively; hale; vigorous

   Synonyms: lebhaft, markig, rüstig, voller Leben

2. (rather rare, formal) vital (necessary to, or characteristic of life)

   Synonyms: lebenswichtig, Lebens-

Declension

Positive forms of vital

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist vital	sie ist vital	es ist vital	sie sind vital
strong declension (without article)	nominative	vitaler	vitale	vitales	vitale
	genitive	vitalen	vitaler	vitalen	vitaler
	dative	vitalem	vitaler	vitalem	vitalen
	accusative	vitalen	vitale	vitales	vitale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der vitale	die vitale	das vitale	die vitalen
	genitive	des vitalen	der vitalen	des vitalen	der vitalen
	dative	dem vitalen	der vitalen	dem vitalen	den vitalen
	accusative	den vitalen	die vitale	das vitale	die vitalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein vitaler	eine vitale	ein vitales	(keine) vitalen
	genitive	eines vitalen	einer vitalen	eines vitalen	(keiner) vitalen
	dative	einem vitalen	einer vitalen	einem vitalen	(keinen) vitalen
	accusative	einen vitalen	eine vitale	ein vitales	(keine) vitalen

Comparative forms of vital

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist vitaler	sie ist vitaler	es ist vitaler	sie sind vitaler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	vitalerer	vitalere	vitaleres	vitalere
	genitive	vitaleren	vitalerer	vitaleren	vitalerer
	dative	vitalerem	vitalerer	vitalerem	vitaleren
	accusative	vitaleren	vitalere	vitaleres	vitalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der vitalere	die vitalere	das vitalere	die vitaleren
	genitive	des vitaleren	der vitaleren	des vitaleren	der vitaleren
	dative	dem vitaleren	der vitaleren	dem vitaleren	den vitaleren
	accusative	den vitaleren	die vitalere	das vitalere	die vitaleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein vitalerer	eine vitalere	ein vitaleres	(keine) vitaleren
	genitive	eines vitaleren	einer vitaleren	eines vitaleren	(keiner) vitaleren
	dative	einem vitaleren	einer vitaleren	einem vitaleren	(keinen) vitaleren
	accusative	einen vitaleren	eine vitalere	ein vitaleres	(keine) vitaleren

Superlative forms of vital

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am vitalsten	sie ist am vitalsten	es ist am vitalsten	sie sind am vitalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	vitalster	vitalste	vitalstes	vitalste
	genitive	vitalsten	vitalster	vitalsten	vitalster
	dative	vitalstem	vitalster	vitalstem	vitalsten
	accusative	vitalsten	vitalste	vitalstes	vitalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der vitalste	die vitalste	das vitalste	die vitalsten
	genitive	des vitalsten	der vitalsten	des vitalsten	der vitalsten
	dative	dem vitalsten	der vitalsten	dem vitalsten	den vitalsten
	accusative	den vitalsten	die vitalste	das vitalste	die vitalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein vitalster	eine vitalste	ein vitalstes	(keine) vitalsten
	genitive	eines vitalsten	einer vitalsten	eines vitalsten	(keiner) vitalsten
	dative	einem vitalsten	einer vitalsten	einem vitalsten	(keinen) vitalsten
	accusative	einen vitalsten	eine vitalste	ein vitalstes	(keine) vitalsten

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch vitaal, from Middle French vital, from Latin vītālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvital]
• Rhymes: -tal, -al, -l
• Hyphenation: vi‧tal

Adjective

vital

1. vital:
   1. very important.
   2. (medicine) necessary to the continuation of life; being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.

Derived terms

• memvitalkan

 

• alat vital

 

Related terms

• vitalitas

 

Further reading

• “vital” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Interlingua

Adjective

vital (not comparable)

1. vital

Related terms

• vita

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital (neuter singular vitalt, definite singular and plural vitale)

1. vital

References

• “vital” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital (neuter singular vitalt, definite singular and plural vitale)

1. vital

References

• “vital” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vītālis.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /viˈtaw/ [viˈtaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /viˈtal/ [viˈtaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /viˈtal/ [viˈtaɫ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /biˈtal/ [biˈtaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /viˈta.li/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: vi‧tal

Adjective

vital m or f (plural vitais)

1. vital (relating to, or characteristic of life)
2. vital (necessary to the continuation of life)
3. vital (very important)

   Synonyms: crucial, fundamental, essencial

Related terms

• vida
• vitalidade
• vitalmente

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French vital, from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital m or n (feminine singular vitală, masculine plural vitali, feminine and neuter plural vitale)

1. vital

Declension

Declension of vital

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	vital		vitală	vitali	vitale
	definite	vitalul		vitala	vitalii	vitalele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	vital		vitale	vitali	vitale
	definite	vitalului		vitalei	vitalilor	vitalelor

Related terms

• vitalitate

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biˈtal/ [biˈt̪al]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: vi‧tal

Adjective

vital m or f (masculine and feminine plural vitales)

1. vital

Derived terms

• ciclo vital
• constantes vitales
• signos vitales
• soporte vital
• testimonio vital
• vitalmente

 

Related terms

• vida
• vitalidad

 

See also

• vivo

Further reading

• “vital”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014