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

They're in a critical condition and were immediately put on oxygen.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

A 65-year-old French woman became symptomatic on the repatriation flight and ended up in critical condition in a Paris hospital with a confirmed case of hantavirus.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Among the living, seven people have been confirmed to have hantavirus, including a French woman in a critical condition, while an eighth case is considered "probable", according to an AFP tally.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, a woman involved in the collision was in critical condition while in transit to the hospital.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 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