critically
Americanadverb
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in a judgmental or disapproving manner.
The backlash was immediate after he spoke critically of his opponent’s personal life.
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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.
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to a devastating degree, leading to or reaching a crisis.
As floodwaters rise, we are critically lacking sandbags and evacuation transport.
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seriously or extremely, as of a gravely unstable medical condition: a critically ill pneumonia patient.
critically injured;
a critically ill pneumonia patient.
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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.
A man in his 30s, also a passenger in the same car, was critically injured.
From BBC
The zoo is home to more than 8,000 animals – from a colony of leafcutter ants to critically endangered Asiatic lions.
From BBC
"The key is to us all to remain critically reflective of the design of these toys, and to pay much attention to how they influence children's everyday lives," he said.
From BBC
Patterns of life, daily habits and routines, which seem mundane, become critically important to exploit vulnerabilities of heads of state, Leighton said.
A quick way to lengthen your credit history is to have a trusted person — who, critically, has fantastic credit — add you as an authorized user on their oldest, most spotless credit card.
From MarketWatch
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.
