critical condition
Americannoun
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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.
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a state of serious disrepair or disarray.
After years of underfunding, the city’s infrastructure is in critical condition.
Etymology
Origin of critical condition
First recorded in 1860–65 critical condition for def. 1; 1950–55 critical condition for def. 2
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.
Musa's father, Shahin Ahmed, said his son remained in a critical condition, and said "strongly agreed" with calls for safety review at the beach.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 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
Rescued Big Bear eagle Jackie has anemia and kidney inflammation, and remains in critical condition.
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
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.
