vital

See also: Vital

English

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

From Middle English [Term?], borrowed from Old French vital, from Latin vītālis (“of life, life-giving”), from vīta (“life”), from vīvō (“I live”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: vī'təl, IPA^(key): /ˈvaɪtəl/
• IPA^(key): /ˈvaɪt̬əl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪtəl

Adjective

vital (comparative more vital, superlative most vital)

1. Relating to, or characteristic of life.

   vital energies; vital functions; vital actions

   Synonym: lifely

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

   The brain is a vital organ.

   • (Can we date this quote by Edmund Spenser and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Do the heavens afford him vital food?

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.

   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.

7. Containing life; living.
   • (Can we date this quote by John Milton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     spirits that live throughout, vital in every part

   • (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The dart flew on, and pierced a vital part.

8. Capable of living; in a state to live; viable.
   • (Can we date this quote by Sir Thomas Browne and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

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

Derived terms

• vital force
• vital organ
• vital signs
• vital statistics

 

Related terms

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

 

Antonyms

• mortal

Translations

relating to, or characteristic of life

• Arabic: أَسَاسِيّ (ar) (ʔasāsiyy)
• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 生命的 (zh) (shēngmìng de)

• Dutch: essentieel (nl)
• Finnish: vitaalinen, elin-
• French: vital (fr)
• Galician: vital
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლო (sasicocxlo)
• Italian: vitale (it)
• Korean: 생명의 (saengmyeong-ui)
• Latin: vītālis
• Norwegian: vital, livsviktig
• Portuguese: vital (pt)
• Russian: жи́зненный (ru) (žíznennyj)
• Spanish: vital (es)

necessary to the continuation of life

• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Czech: životně důležitý
• Dutch: doorslaggevend (nl)
• Finnish: elintärkeä, elämälle välttämätön
• French: vital (fr)
• Galician: vital
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლო (sasicocxlo), სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani)
• German: lebenswichtig (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: חִיּוּנִי (he) m (ẖiyuní)
• Italian: vitale (it)
• Norwegian: livsoppholdende
• Portuguese: vital (pt)
• Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj), насу́щный (ru) (nasúščnyj), необходи́мый (ru) (neobxodímyj)
• Spanish: vital (es)
• Swedish: livsviktig (sv)

invigorating or life-giving

• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Finnish: elintärkeä
• Latin: vītālis
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian: livsoppholdende
• Russian: жи́вотво́рный (ru) (žívotvórnyj)

necessary to continued existence

• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Czech: životně důležitý
• Finnish: elintärkeä
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani)
• German: lebenswichtig (de)
• Norwegian: livsviktig
• Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj), насу́щный (ru) (nasúščnyj), необходи́мый (ru) (neobxodímyj)

relating to the recording of life events

• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Finnish: elämäkerrallinen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian: levende (no)
• Russian: демографи́ческий (ru) (demografíčeskij)

very important

• Catalan: vital (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 重要 (zh) (zhòngyào)

• Finnish: tärkeä (fi), olennainen (fi)
• French: vital (fr)
• Galician: vital
• Georgian: სასიცოცხლოდ მნიშვნელოვანი (sasicocxlod mnišvnelovani), არსებითი (ka) (arsebiti)
• Italian: vitale (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Korean: 중요한 (Jung Yo-han)
• Maori: waiwai
• Norwegian: kjempeviktig
• Portuguese: vital (pt)
• Russian: жи́зненно ва́жный (žíznenno vážnyj), насу́щный (ru) (nasúščnyj), необходи́мый (ru) (neobxodímyj)
• Spanish: vital (es)

containing life — see living

capable of living

• Finnish: elinkelpoinen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

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.

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Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

vital m or f (masculine and feminine plural vitals)

1. vital

Related terms

• vida
• vitalitat

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French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vi.tal/
• Homophones: vitale, vitales

Adjective

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

1. vital

Related terms

• vitalité
• vie

Further reading

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

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Galician

Etymology

Borrowed 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

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German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vītālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /viˈtaːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

vital (comparative vitaler, superlative am vitalsten)

1. lively; hale; vigorous
2. (rather rare, formal) vital (necessary to, or characteristic of life)

Synonyms

• (lively): lebhaft; markig; rüstig; voller Leben
• (vital): lebenswichtig; Lebens-

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Interlingua

Adjective

vital (not comparable)

1. vital

Related terms

• vita

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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.

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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.

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Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

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

Synonyms

• (very important): crucial, fundamental, essencial

Related terms

• vida
• vitalidade

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Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vitalis.

Adjective

vital m or f (masculine and feminine plural vitales)

1. vital

Related terms

• vitalidad
• vida

See also

• vivo