intensive care

American  

noun

1. the use of specialized equipment and personnel for continuous monitoring and care of the critically ill.

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intensive care British  

noun

1. extensive and continuous care and treatment provided for an acutely ill patient, usually in a specially designated section ( intensive care unit ) of a hospital

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Etymology

Origin of intensive care

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

One British man became ill on April 24 and was evacuated three days later from the Atlantic island of Ascension to South Africa, where he was placed in intensive care.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Dozens of intensive care specialists are on stand-by at the Candelaria hospital in Tenerife in case anyone from the Hondius becomes seriously ill during the transfer.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Another individual, a British man, was medically evacuated on April 27 to a hospital in South Africa, where he is undergoing treatment in intensive care.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Two hantavirus cases have been confirmed -- including in one of the fatalities and a British passenger currently in intensive care in Johannesburg -- with five further suspected cases, the WHO said.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Mo went pale when I told him about Mama and Baba being in intensive care.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda