/ ˈvaɪtl; NAmE / adjective
1.
vital (for / to sth) necessary or essential in order for sth to succeed or exist :
the vitamins that are vital for health
Good financial accounts are vital to the success of any enterprise.
It is vital that you keep accurate records when you are self-employed.
Reading is of vital importance in language learning.
The police play a vital role in our society.
It was vital to show that he was not afraid.
➡ note at essential
2.
[ only before noun ] connected with or necessary for staying alive :
the vital organs (= the brain, heart, lungs, etc.)
3.
( of a person ) full of energy and enthusiasm
SYN dynamic
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (describing the animating principle of living beings, also in sense 3): via Old French from Latin vitalis , from vita life. The sense essential dates from the early 17th cent.