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.
As the guests lay critically ill, Patterson did not admit to using foraged mushrooms, choosing instead to lie to police and health workers.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Most critically, Lorizio points out, this news from the Treasury is not a return to “quantitative easing,” where the Fed prints new money and uses it to buy bonds.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
He generally sees humpbacks but sometimes other species including the still critically endangered North Atlantic Right whale.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“We’re seeing more demand for this kind of topic because it’s critically important if you think about launching a new product,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Ralph looked at him critically through his tangle of fair hair.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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.
