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 person with minor injuries and another who was in critical condition were transported to a nearby hospital.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Jackie, the bald eagle who has gained worldwide fame over the years, has been diagnosed with anemia and is in "critical" condition.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
A medical source said, under condition of anonymity, that Besigya was taken to hospital on Wednesday evening and said he was in a "critical condition and unresponsive".
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Amid the positive developments, with the inflammation improving, she remains in critical condition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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.
