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.
Big Bear eagle Jackie is in critical condition after a blood transfusion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The boy, who became stranded during a family day out from Barking, east London, was airlifted to hospital and remained there in a critical condition on Friday.
From BBC ● 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
By Tuesday morning, Bangkok's Chatuchak district office put the death toll at 30, with 75 people injured -- 24 in critical condition.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
He was in critical condition and spent three months in the hospital.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
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.
