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

The driver was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Two other men, in their 20s, are in hospital in a critical condition.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

He added that a 14-year-old girl was among 19 wounded and was in a "critical condition".

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

She also had been been separated from her mother and was severely emaciated and in critical condition when she was found on the side of a road.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Fox, who didn’t yet have a driver’s license, is semicomatose and still in critical condition.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson