critical condition
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
The other was in critical condition, officials said Friday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026
Lancashire Police said the man, also in his 60s, remains in a critical condition in hospital.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Some of those stuck underground were in "critical condition", that report said.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
He and the woman were taken to the hospital and were listed in critical condition, Lopez said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
In mid-August, both Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln and Silas Boynton confided to friends that Garfield was definitely in critical condition.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
