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View synonyms for critical

critical

[krit-i-kuhl]

adjective

  1. inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily.

    Parents who are too critical make their children anxious.

  2. involving criticism, or skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc..

    The article provides a critical analysis of the Gulf War.

  3. occupied with or skilled in criticism.

    She was one of the great critical journalists of the 20th century.

  4. of or relating to critics or criticism, especially of literature, film, music, etc..

    Critical appreciation of this author’s work has peaked in recent years.

  5. providing textual variants, proposed emendations, etc..

    The library has a new critical edition of Chaucer.

  6. of the nature of a crisis; threatening a seriously bad outcome; grave.

    There was a critical shortage of food.

  7. of decisive importance with respect to the outcome; crucial.

    The nation is facing a critical moment in its history.

  8. essential; indispensable.

    Cocoa butter is a critical ingredient in chocolate.

  9. Medicine/Medical.,  having unstable and abnormal vital signs and other unfavorable indicators, as loss of appetite, poor mobility, or unconsciousness.

    The patient has been upgraded from critical to stable.

  10. Physics.

    1. pertaining to a state, value, or quantity at which one or more properties of a substance or system undergo a change.

      The critical temperature of benzene is 289° C.

    2. (of fissionable material) having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction.

      They told us about a lab where some plutonium went critical.



critical

/ ˈkrɪtɪkəl /

adjective

  1. containing or making severe or negative judgments

  2. containing careful or analytical evaluations

    a critical dissertation

  3. of or involving a critic or criticism

  4. of or forming a crisis; crucial; decisive

    a critical operation

  5. urgently needed

    critical medical supplies

  6. informal,  so seriously injured or ill as to be in danger of dying

  7. physics of, denoting, or concerned with a state in which the properties of a system undergo an abrupt change

    a critical temperature

  8. (of a nuclear power station or reactor) to reach a state in which a nuclear-fission chain reaction becomes self-sustaining

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • critically adverb
  • criticality noun
  • criticalness noun
  • anticritical adjective
  • noncritical adjective
  • pseudocritical adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of critical1

First recorded in 1580–90; critic + -al 1
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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.

“These law enforcement agencies must follow the law and release this critical recording without delay,” Perryman said in a statement.

From Salon

Ms Souza was hospitalised in a critical condition and tests showed she had methanol in her system, as did her boyfriend, according to an obituary posted online.

From BBC

Bourla was quoted in Pfizer’s news release as stating that the deal addresses “two critical fronts, tariffs and pricing that have suppressed the industry’s valuations to historic lows.”

Initially the scheme will be confined to the most critical suppliers needed for restarting production, but it will be expanded at a later date.

From BBC

The trust said pine martens were a "critical" part of woodland ecosystems and performed a very important "balancing effect within the woodland".

From BBC

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criticcritical angle