Synonyms: Important

Kritis means "judge" in Greek, which is where we get
critic and criticism. In Latin, though, criticus acquired a medical sense, referring to a serious disease the way we still do when we say that a patient is in critical condition. English inherited both meanings, so it’s useful to understand their roots.

The essence of something is the core of its being, its identity. It comes from the Latin verb esse, meaning "to be."

Fundamentalis is Latin for "basis" or "underlying reason." Foundation, the base upon which a structure is built, comes from the same root. Fundamentals are the foundation upon which everything else rests, whether it's dribbling in basketball, knife skills in the kitchen, or the American Constitution.

Someone influential has the power to influence someone else's behavior: to cause them to do something. If a person's work has caused many other people to react to it in their own work, often with some form of imitation, that person has been influential in their field.

Momentous describes a life-changing event. The Latin word momentum means "essential element" or "importance."

Paramount is a way of saying "top of the heap," describing the most important person or most pressing issue.

Profundus means "deep" in Latin, so profound can refer to an insight or work of art but also to something with a huge effect or impact, like a sweeping legal decision or an earthquake.

Salient comes from the Latin verb salire, meaning "to leap." So if something jumps out, is obvious or prominent, or is otherwise impossible to ignore, that's salient.

Urgere means "to press," "to impel," or "to plead" in Latin, which is where we get the English verb urge. So something urgent requires attention right away.

Vita means "life" in Latin, so a vital organ like your heart or liver is essential to life. If something is so important that it cannot be ignored, and may actually be a matter of life or death, that's vital.