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.
“We just have too much data that says that we really, really critically need this, and the city of Los Angeles has failed really awfully over the last century-plus,” Miller said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proposed the creation of an "ambitious" new US-ASEAN defence framework on Wednesday, telling the bloc's leaders it could help them navigate "critically important" years ahead.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
McDonagh has delivered responsibly budgeted movies that have so far been commercially successful and critically acclaimed awards contenders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Australian MP Helen Haines is critically ill in hospital in Melbourne after being hit by a car in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says may have been a deliberate attack.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
When we reached her, she looked me over critically, like she was still thinking about how much I drooled.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
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