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.
Nine of the injured people remain in a critical condition, authorities say.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Two of those who were wounded were treated and released at the scene, three were in stable conditions, and two others were in critical condition as of Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 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
Musa's father, Shahin Ahmed, said his son remained in a critical condition, and said "strongly agreed" with calls for safety review at the beach.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“People recover from being in critical condition all the time.”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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.
