- The definition of critical is something that is crucial, judged, analyzed, at a turning point or on the verge of a crisis.
- An example of critical is a sky diver having a parachute.
- An example of critical is Slumdog Millionaire receiving the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2009.
- Critical is defined as someone who tends to make judgments and find fault with others.
An example of critical is a father who doesn't feel any of the dates his daughter brings home are good enough for her.
critical
- tending to find fault; censorious
- characterized by careful analysis and judgment: a sound critical estimate of the problem
- of professional or scholarly critics or criticism; specif.,
- consisting of or incorporating criticism: a critical biography of Wordsworth
- characterized by criticism regarded as emphasizing faults and shortcomings: a highly critical movie review
- of or forming a crisis or turning point; decisive: a critical moment in history
- necessary; essential: a designated critical habitat for an endangered species
- dangerous or risky; causing anxiety: a critical situation in international relations
- of the crisis of a disease
- designating or of important products or raw materials subject to increased production and restricted distribution under strict control, as in wartime
- designating or of a point at which a change in character, property, or condition is effected
- designating or of the point at which a nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining
- designating or of a medical condition in which the patient is at high risk of dying and thus requires special treatment, monitoring, nursing care, etc.
critical
adjective
- Judging severely and finding fault: a writer who is very critical of the government's foreign policy.
- a. Relating to or characterized by criticism; reflecting careful analysis and judgment: a critical appreciation of the filmmaker's work.b. Of, relating to, or characteristic of critics: a play that received great critical acclaim.c. Including scholarly commentary and interpretation: a critical edition of Poe's stories.
- a. Forming or having the nature of a turning point; crucial or decisive: a critical point in the campaign. See Synonyms at decisive.b. Medicine Being or relating to a grave physical condition, especially of a patient.c. Being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency: a critical shortage of food.
- Extremely important or essential: a critical element of the plan; a second income that is critical to the family's well-being. See Synonyms at indispensable.
- Mathematics Of or relating to a point at which a curve has a horizontal tangent line, as at a maximum or minimum.
- Chemistry & Physics Of or relating to the value of a measurement, such as temperature, at which an abrupt change in a quality, property, or state occurs: A critical temperature of water is 100°C, its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure.
- Physics Capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction: The reactor has gone critical.
Related Forms:
- crit′i·cal·ly
adverb
- crit′i·cal·ness
noun
critical
Adjective
(comparative more critical, superlative most critical)
- Inclined to find fault or criticize; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting.
- A good teacher is fair but critical.
- Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis or turning point.
- This is a critical moment.
- Extremely important.
- It's critical that you deliver this on time.
- Relating to criticism or careful analysis, such as literary or film criticism.
- The movie was a critical success, but bombed at the box-office.
- (medicine) 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.
- The patient's condition is critical.
- Likely to go out of control if disturbed, that is, opposite of stable.
- The political situation was so critical that the government declared the state of siege.
- Of the point (in temperature, reagent concentration etc.) where a nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.
- The reaction was about to become critical.
critical - Computer Definition
Essential for continued operations. In risk analysis, one classifies data by the degree of sensitivity and criticality. See sensitive and risk assessment.
