Definition of critical Critical

/kɹɪˈtɪkʌl/ - [kritikul] - crit•i•cal

We found 22 definitions of critical from 4 different sources.

What does critical mean?

WordNet

Adjective
critical - marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws; "a critical attitude"
		uncritical not critical; not tending to find or call attention to errors; "a devoted and almost uncritical admirer"
		sarcastic expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
		unfavorable, unfavourable (of winds or weather) tending to hinder or oppose; "unfavorable winds"
		captious, faultfinding tending to find and call attention to faults; "a captious pedant"; "an excessively demanding and faultfinding tutor"
		censorious harshly critical or expressing censure; "was censorious of petty failings"
		deprecative given to expressing disapproval
		hypercritical, overcritical inclined to judge too severely; "hypercritical of colloquial speech"; "the overcritical teacher can discourage originality"
		searing severely critical
critical - being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency; "a critical shortage of food"; "a critical illness"; "an illness at the critical stage"
		noncrucial, noncritical of little importance; not decisive
		crucial, important of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis; "a crucial moment in his career"; "a crucial election"; "a crucial issue for women"
		crisis a crucial stage or turning point in the course of something; "after the crisis the patient either dies or gets better"
		acute having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course; "acute appendicitis"; "the acute phase of the illness"; "acute patients"
		life-threatening, dangerous, grave, grievous, serious, severe causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"; "a life-threatening disease"
critical - characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; "a critical reading"; "a critical dissertation"; "a critical analysis of Melville's writings"
		uncritical, noncritical not critical; not tending to find or call attention to errors; "a devoted and almost uncritical admirer"
		discerning having or revealing keen insight and good judgment; "a discerning critic"; "a discerning reader"
		scholarly characteristic of scholars or scholarship; "scholarly pursuits"; "a scholarly treatise"; "a scholarly attitude"
		appraising, evaluative exercising or involving careful evaluations; "looked him over with an appraising eye"; "the literary judge uses many evaluative terms"
critical - forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis; "a critical point in the campaign"; "the critical test"
		decisive
		crucial, important of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis; "a crucial moment in his career"; "a crucial election"; "a crucial issue for women"
critical - of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism; "critical acclaim"
critical - urgently needed; absolutely necessary; "a critical element of the plan"; "critical medical supplies"; "vital for a healthy society"; "of vital interest"
		vital
		indispensable unavoidable; "the routine but indispensable ceremonies of state"

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

critical (Noun)
A critical value, factor, etc.
critical (Adjective)
Inclined to find fault or criticize; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting.
critical (Adjective)
Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis or turning point .
critical (Adjective)
Extremely important.
critical (Adjective)
Relating to criticism or careful analysis, such as literary or film criticism.
critical (Adjective)
Of a patient condition involving unstable vital signs and a prognosis that predicts the condition could worsen; or, a patient condition that requires urgent treatment in an intensive care or critical care medical facility.
critical (Adjective)
Likely to go out of control if disturbed, that is, opposite of stable.
critical (Adjective)
Of the point in temperature, reagent concentration etc. where a nuclear nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

critical (n.)
Qualified to criticise, or pass judgment upon, literary or artistic productions.
critical (n.)
Pertaining to criticism or the critic's art; of the nature of a criticism; accurate; as, critical knowledge; a critical dissertation.
critical (n.)
Inclined to make nice distinctions, or to exercise careful judgment and selection; exact; nicely judicious.
critical (n.)
Inclined to criticise or find fault; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting.
critical (n.)
Characterized by thoroughness and a reference to principles, as becomes a critic; as, a critical analysis of a subject.
critical (n.)
Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis, turning point, or specially important juncture; important as regards consequences; hence, of doubtful issue; attended with risk; dangerous; as, the critical stage of a fever; a critical situation.