critical

[ krit-i-kuhl ]

/ ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR critical ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily.

occupied with or skilled in criticism.

involving skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.; judicial: a critical analysis.

of or relating to critics or criticism: critical essays.

providing textual variants, proposed emendations, etc.: a critical edition of Chaucer.

pertaining to or of the nature of a crisis: a critical shortage of food.

of decisive importance with respect to the outcome; crucial: a critical moment.

of essential importance; indispensable: a critical ingredient.

Medicine/Medical. (of a patient's condition) having unstable and abnormal vital signs and other unfavorable indicators, as loss of appetite, poor mobility, or unconsciousness.

Physics.

pertaining to a state, value, or quantity at which one or more properties of a substance or system undergo a change.
(of fissionable material) having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction.

Origin of critical

First recorded in 1580–90; critic + -al¹

SYNONYMS FOR critical

1 captious, censorious, carping, faultfinding, caviling.

3 discriminating, exact, precise.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR critical ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM critical

crit·i·cal·ly, adverb crit·i·cal·i·ty, crit·i·cal·ness, noun an·ti·crit·i·cal, adjective an·ti·crit·i·cal·ly, adverb

an·ti·crit·i·cal·ness, noun half-crit·i·cal, adjective half-crit·i·cal·ly, adverb half-crit·i·cal·ness, noun non·crit·i·cal, adjective non·crit·i·cal·ly, adverb non·crit·i·cal·ness, noun post·crit·i·cal, adjective pseu·do·crit·i·cal, adjective pseu·do·crit·i·cal·ly, adverb qua·si-crit·i·cal, adjective qua·si-crit·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby critical

crit, crit., criterion, crithidia, critic, critical, critical angle, critical apparatus, critical care unit, critical constant, critical constants

Example sentences from the Web for critically

Most critically, the split perspectives of Noah and Alison need to marry more elegantly.

What On Earth Is ‘The Affair’ About? Season One’s Baffling Finale |Tim Teeman |December 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
This is a critically important role, and something I've seen firsthand.

The Valerie Jarrett I Know: How She Saved the Obama Campaign and Why She’s Indispensable |Joshua DuBois |November 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The film was critically panned upon its release, but has since gained a cult following.

Charles Dance on Tywin Lannister’s S5 Return, A ‘Game of Thrones’ Movie,’ and Sexy Peter Dinklage |Marlow Stern |November 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Most people pay attention to this only in regards the Supreme Court, but the lower courts are also critically important.

Who Controls the Senate Controls the Courts |Geoffrey R. Stone |November 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The Hangover star, currently in the critically acclaimed Birdman, certainly knows how to bring the funny as well as the awkward.

Brad Pitt and Louis C.K. Go ‘Between Two Ferns’ |Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video |October 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
She looked at him critically from under her shading lashes—but her eyes grew gentler almost at once.

The Magnificent Ambersons |Booth Tarkington
McKelvie glanced hastily about and then striding to the divan he bent down and sniffed at it critically.

The Mystery of the Hidden Room |Marion Harvey
As they spoke thus together John Angus waited for a moment, considering them critically.

Poppea of the Post-Office |Mabel Osgood Wright
When the bullet was extracted Doctor Joe examined it critically, washed it and placed it carefully in his pocket.

Troop One of the Labrador |Dillon Wallace
He was grinning broadly, and Mason was keenly amused when Josephine hastened over and surveyed him critically.

Mason of Bar X Ranch |Henry Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for critically

critical

/ (ˈkrɪtɪkəl) /

adjective

containing or making severe or negative judgments

containing careful or analytical evaluations a critical dissertation

of or involving a critic or criticism

of or forming a crisis; crucial; decisive a critical operation

urgently needed critical medical supplies

informal so seriously injured or ill as to be in danger of dying

physics of, denoting, or concerned with a state in which the properties of a system undergo an abrupt change a critical temperature

go critical (of a nuclear power station or reactor) to reach a state in which a nuclear-fission chain reaction becomes self-sustaining

Derived forms of critical

critically, adverb criticalness, noun

Medical definitions for critically

critical

[ krĭt′ĭ-kəl ]

adj.

Of or relating to a medical crisis.

Being or relating to a grave physical condition especially of a patient.

Of or relating to the value of a measurement, such as temperature, at which an abrupt change in a chemical of physical quality, property, or state occurs.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

critical

adjective

Origin of critical

SYNONYMS FOR critical

OTHER WORDS FROM critical

Words nearby critical

Example sentences from the Web for critically

British Dictionary definitions for critically

adjective

Derived forms of critical

Medical definitions for critically

adj.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

critical

adjective

Origin of critical

SYNONYMS FOR critical

OTHER WORDS FROM critical

Words nearby critical

Words related to critically

Example sentences from the Web for critically

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for critically

adjective

Derived forms of critical

Medical definitions for critically

adj.

British Dictionary definitions for critically