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.
He was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
"I lost my baby, but I am here today because my wife is in critical condition," Idrees Khan told AFP as his eyes welled up in tears.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The driver of the Ford, a woman, was seriously injured and remains in hospital in critical condition, while injuries to a second woman -her passanger - were serious but not believed to be life-threatening.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The driver and front passenger, both female and aged in their 30s, of the second car have been removed from the scene to Tallaght University Hospital and both remain in critical condition.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
She was in critical condition, and there was no way of knowing what the outcome would be.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
