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.
A source close to the case had said the man had suffered severe burns and the woman was in critical condition.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
Kies, 21, who played for Guingamp in Ligue 2, was in a critical condition when he was pulled from the water by firefighters on Monday, and later died in hospital.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
Back-to-back shark attacks in the Florida Panhandle have left at least one swimmer in critical condition this month.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
"Nine are in a critical condition," she added.
From Barron's • Jun. 20, 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
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.
