fulcrum
noun
ˈfəl-
Gerald Mast Bernard De Voto
Did you know?
Fulcrum, which means "bedpost" in Latin, comes from the verb fulcire, which means "to prop." When the word fulcrum was first used in the 17th century, it referred to the point on which a lever or similar device (such as the oar of a boat) is supported. The literal use easily supported figurative use, and it didn't take long for the word to develop a meaning referring to one deemed essential to the function or development of something. Despite fulcrum's multiple senses, the word's meanings have kept a steady theme. In zoology, fulcrum refers to a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support, such as the joint supporting a bird's wing.
Examples of fulcrum in a Sentence
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Different baskets, regalia, or stories can be the time machine, the storage container, the religious fulcrum, the food carrier, the knowledge bearer, or the storyteller.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2025
As Martin and Helms made jokes about the unpopularity of the banjo in most polite society, there was a lot of irony to go around, considering that over time the instrument has been a fulcrum for Black pride and white embarrassment.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2025
Now, Garcia is the fulcrum at the heart of the operating machine.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fulcrum
Cite this Entry
“Fulcrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fulcrum. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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fulcrum
noun
ˈfəl-
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