critical condition
Americannoun
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Medicine/Medical. an unstable state, resulting from severe illness or injury, in which the patient’s vital signs and other symptoms indicate a significant risk of death.
An 80-year-old man with serious head injuries was rushed from the accident scene to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
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a state of serious disrepair or disarray.
After years of underfunding, the city’s infrastructure is in critical condition.
Etymology
Origin of critical condition
First recorded in 1860–65 critical condition for def. 1; 1950–55 critical condition for def. 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One fire marshal is in a critical condition and one firefighter is in a serious condition as of Friday evening, Mamdani.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Among the living, seven people have been confirmed to have hantavirus, including a French woman in a critical condition, while an eighth case is considered "probable", according to an AFP tally.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
One Indian seafarer has been radioing to say his ship is out of provisions and fresh water, with two crew members in critical condition.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
The victim, substitute teacher and veteran Ed Ashman, remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday, according to an update posted on GoFundMe.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
She was in critical condition, and there was no way of knowing what the outcome would be.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
