critical condition

American  

[krit-i-kuhl kuhn-dish-uhn] / ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl kənˈdɪʃ ən /

noun

1. 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.

2. a state of serious disrepair or disarray.

   After years of underfunding, the city’s infrastructure is in critical condition.

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Etymology

Origin of critical condition

First recorded in 1860–65 critical condition for def. 1; 1950–55 critical condition for def. 2

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

critical condition

A man is in a critical condition in hospital after three people got into difficulty in the water near an Essex pier.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

Nearly a week after being rescued near Big Bear Lake, Jackie — half of a celebrity bald eagle couple — remains in critical condition as veterinarians continue to puzzle over the cause of her maladies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Thirteen of the 14 dogs seized by the Newport Beach Beach Animal Control were puppies, including two 6-week-old golden retriever puppies that were in critical condition because of untreated parasites.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

In Tokyo prefecture -- home to around 14 million people -- one person had died in the current heatwave with four others in a critical condition and 18 in a serious state, he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

In mid-August, both Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln and Silas Boynton confided to friends that Garfield was definitely in critical condition.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow