Origin: Latin suffix -al
Vital has 6 different meanings across 2 categories:
performing an essential function in the living body
"vital organs"
"blood and other vital fluids"
"the loss of vital heat in shock"
"a vital spot"
"life-giving love and praise"
Relating to, or characteristic of life.
"The sudden return of warmth was vital for reviving the frozen saplings in the garden."
In plain English: Vital means absolutely necessary for something to work or survive.
"Rest is vital for your health."
Usage: Use vital to describe something absolutely essential for survival or success, such as saying that clean water is vital for health. Avoid confusing it with merely important matters by reserving the term only for situations where absence would cause failure or death.
A surname.
"During the family reunion, Aunt Vital shared a funny story about her childhood in Ohio."
The word "vital" comes from the Latin vita, meaning "life." It entered English through Middle French with its original sense of being life-giving or essential to living things.