Meaning & use
fulcrum
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Meanings
nouncountablephysics
The support or pivot point under a lever, around which the lever turns.
Grammar: Singular with an or the: the fulcrum of the seesaw.
Patterns
- the fulcrum of something
On a seesaw, the fulcrum is the bar in the middle.
Moving the fulcrum closer to the rock makes it easier to lift.
A pencil under a ruler can act as a fulcrum.
nouncountablefigurative
The central thing on which a situation, plan or group depends or turns.
Grammar: Figurative, often with of: the fulcrum of the negotiation.
Patterns
- the fulcrum of something
- a fulcrum for something
The star midfielder is the fulcrum of the team.
Trust is the fulcrum on which the deal turns.
The debate pivoted on a single fulcrum, the question of cost.
Word forms
| plural | fulcrums or fulcra |
|---|
Common combinations
- act as a fulcrum
- The rock acted as a fulcrum for the long plank.
- the fulcrum of
- The kitchen is the fulcrum of family life.
- move the fulcrum
- Move the fulcrum nearer the load for an easier lift.
- serve as a fulcrum
- Her role served as a fulcrum for the whole project.
- balance on a fulcrum
- The board balanced on a fulcrum made of bricks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pivot
- Pivot can be any turning point or spindle, while fulcrum is specifically the support point of a lever.
- hinge
- Hinge describes a joint that swings, such as on a door, rather than a support under a bar.
- linchpin
- Linchpin suggests something that holds everything together, whereas fulcrum suggests something that decides how things balance.
- cornerstone
- Cornerstone is the base on which something is built, but fulcrum is the point of balance and turning.
Word family
Commonly confused: fulcrum or focus?
fulcrum vs focus
A focus is a center of attention, but a fulcrum is a pivot point; do not use them as exact substitutes.
Practice
In a simple crowbar lifting a heavy stone, what is the fulcrum?
Choose one answer.
The fulcrum is the fixed pivot point. The stone is the load and the hand supplies the effort.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fulcrum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.