critical

adjective

crit·i·cal | \ ˈkri-ti-kəl

Definition of critical

1a : inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably His critical temperament cost him several friends.

b : consisting of or involving criticism critical writings also : of or relating to the judgment of critics The play was a critical success.

c : exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation critical thinking a critical commentary on the mayor's proposal

d : including variant readings and scholarly emendations a critical edition

2a : of, relating to, or being a turning point or specially important juncture a critical phase : such as

(1) : relating to or being the stage of a disease at which an abrupt change for better or worse may be expected also : being or relating to an illness or condition involving danger of death critical care a patient listed in critical condition

(2) : relating to or being a state in which or a measurement or point at which some quality, property, or phenomenon suffers a definite change critical temperature

b : indispensable, vital a critical waterfowl habitat a component critical to the operation of a machine

c : being in or approaching a state of crisis a critical shortage a critical situation

d : crucial, decisive a critical test

3a : of sufficient size to sustain a chain reaction —used of a mass of fissionable material a critical mass

b : sustaining a nuclear chain reaction The reactor went critical.

Other Words from critical Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about critical

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Choose the Right Synonym for critical

critical, hypercritical, faultfinding, captious, carping, censorious mean inclined to look for and point out faults and defects. critical may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly. a critical essay hypercritical suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict standards. hypercritical disparagement of other people's work faultfinding implies a querulous or exacting temperament. a faultfinding reviewer captious suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections on trivial grounds. a captious critic carping implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of flaws. a carping editorial censorious implies a disposition to be severely critical and condemnatory. the censorious tone of the review

synonyms see in addition acute

Examples of critical in a Sentence

The program presents a critical analysis of the government's strategies. She has a talent for critical thinking. We need to look at these proposed changes with a critical eye before we accept them.

Recent Examples on the Web Overall, however, the vaccine was 97.4% effective against severe, critical, or fatal disease caused by any variant that was circulating in the country, including B.1.351. — Andrew Joseph, STAT, "Vaccines seem to work well against coronavirus variants. It’s also complicated," 14 May 2021 Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk’s virtual fundraising event to honor his fight and raise dollars to support critical melanoma research at the Taussig Cancer Care Institute at the Cleveland Clinic will last about one hour. — cleveland, "After two-year fight with the disease, Rabbi Nosanchuk to hold virtual fundraiser to benefit cancer research," 13 May 2021 Two of the protests ended with police releasing tear gas to disperse the crowd and the police citizens advisory committee issued a critical report last month reviewing police actions at the protests. — Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, "Calls continue for Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle to fire police chief," 13 May 2021 That contingent notes that consumer and business inflation expectations – a critical factor that determines how rapidly prices actually rise -- remain stable. — Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, "'I really had sticker shock': Will a reopening economy mean surging prices for Americans?," 13 May 2021 Biden is also likely to use the time to make a pitch for his infrastructure plan, saying the nation's critical systems need to be better protected against hackers. — Kevin Liptak, CNN, "Alarm bells ringing in the White House over economy as Biden faces new headwinds," 13 May 2021 The territory of about 2 million people already faced critical shortages of basic medicines, medical equipment and qualified hospital staff. — Washington Post, "Israel’s military assault on Gaza threatens to worsen the pandemic in the enclave," 13 May 2021 Dead at 20, Jackson would not know the breadth of the critical acclaim and commercial success his music received after he was gone. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, "A rising rapper, an ill-fated Instagram post and a killing in the Hollywood Hills," 13 May 2021 Some of the money will also go to expanding the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which plays a critical role in containing outbreaks. — BostonGlobe.com, "US vaccine rollout begins for adolescents ages 12-15," 13 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'critical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for critical

in sense "being at a turning point," from 16th-17th century cretike, criticke "at a turning point" (Middle English cretic, borrowed from Late Latin criticus "at a turning point, decisive," borrowed from Greek kritikós, taken as derivative of krísis crisis, replacing earlier krísimos) + -al entry 1; in sense "inclined to criticize, involving criticism," from critic entry 1 + -al entry 1 — more at critic entry 1

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Last Updated

16 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Critical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical. Accessed 18 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for critical

critical

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of critical

: expressing criticism or disapproval

: of or relating to the judgments of critics about books, movies, art, etc.

: using or involving careful judgment about the good and bad parts of something

See the full definition for critical in the English Language Learners Dictionary

critical

adjective

crit·i·cal | \ ˈkri-ti-kəl

Kids Definition of critical

1 : likely or eager to find fault

2 : consisting of or involving judgment of value, worth, beauty, or quality critical writings

3 : using or involving careful judgment a critical examination of a patient

4 : extremely important It is critical that you follow the instructions exactly.

critical

adjective

crit·i·cal | \ ˈkrit-i-kəl

Medical Definition of critical

1a : relating to, indicating, or being the stage of a disease at which an abrupt change for better or worse may be anticipated with reasonable certainty the critical phase of a fever

b : being or relating to an illness or condition involving danger of death critical care a critical head injury

2a : of sufficient size to sustain a chain reaction —used of a mass of fissionable material

b : sustaining a chain reaction —used of a nuclear reactor