critically
Americanadverb
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in a judgmental or disapproving manner.
The backlash was immediate after he spoke critically of his opponent’s personal life.
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in a manner involving skillful analysis of merit, as of a decision or work of art or literature: critically admired novels.
a critically sanctioned project;
critically admired novels.
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to a devastating degree, leading to or reaching a crisis.
As floodwaters rise, we are critically lacking sandbags and evacuation transport.
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seriously or extremely, as of a gravely unstable medical condition: a critically ill pneumonia patient.
critically injured;
a critically ill pneumonia patient.
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with decisive or essential importance with respect to the outcome; crucially; indispensably.
The success of this experiment critically relies on optimal weather.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of critically
First recorded in 1645–55; critical ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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 critically injured man arrived at a boat ramp at Hull River Heads at 1:00 pm, where emergency services were waiting.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
"Our daughter got herself - critically injured - out of that room and ran for help. They're all amazing. There's no words to describe little girls doing that."
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The critically endangered Torrey pine tree only grows naturally two places in the world — a state park near San Diego and on Santa Rosa Island — and one of those places is on fire.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Rather than being classified as extinct, the plant has now been moved to the critically endangered list, allowing scientists and conservation groups to focus on protecting it.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
At last he dropped the hammer and turned to Coll, who was watching him critically.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
