critically
Americanadverb
-
in a judgmental or disapproving manner.
The backlash was immediate after he spoke critically of his opponent’s personal life.
-
in a manner involving skillful analysis of merit, as of a decision or work of art or literature: critically admired novels.
a critically sanctioned project;
critically admired novels.
-
to a devastating degree, leading to or reaching a crisis.
As floodwaters rise, we are critically lacking sandbags and evacuation transport.
-
seriously or extremely, as of a gravely unstable medical condition: a critically ill pneumonia patient.
critically injured;
a critically ill pneumonia patient.
-
with decisive or essential importance with respect to the outcome; crucially; indispensably.
The success of this experiment critically relies on optimal weather.
Other Word Forms
- noncritically adverb
Etymology
Origin of critically
First recorded in 1645–55; critical ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
“Big dreams require big risk, and the timing of when the payoff might be for some of these ventures becomes critically important.”
From MarketWatch
"While we respect the ASA's decision, we fundamentally disagree with the characterisation of a campaign that critically reflects widely reported economic conditions as socially irresponsible," it said in a statement.
From BBC
"I don't think it enables the pupils to think about these things critically, and to make informed decisions about what they do or don't believe."
From BBC
While both were critically acclaimed, she couldn’t get traction on the Billboard charts, and she parted ways with Dreamville in 2025.
I lay them out on the bed and study them critically.
From Literature
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.
