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 remained in critical condition as of Sunday, Michelle Belyea, a spokesperson for the Fairfield Police Department, said at a news conference Monday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Of them, 58 had been taken to hospital, with 15 in a critical condition.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
The two injured Israelis are in critical condition, according to Israel's ambulance service.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
Some of them were in a critical condition, he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
