Vital means absolutely necessary for life or success. Your heart and lungs are vital organs because you cannot survive without them. Water is vital for all living things. A vital piece of information is one you absolutely must have to solve a problem or make a good decision.

When doctors check your vital signs, they're measuring basic indicators like heart rate and breathing that show whether your body is working properly.

Something vital is essential, not optional. Your backpack might be useful for carrying books, but oxygen is vital for breathing. A map might be helpful on a hike, but water is vital.

You'll also hear people describe someone as having vitality, which means they're full of energy and life. When something revitalizes you, like a good night's sleep after a long week, it restores your energy and makes you feel alive again. The connection is clear: things that are vital support life, and things that have vitality are bursting with it.