Definition of CRITICAL

critical

Meanings

Plural: criticals

Adjective

  • marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
    • "a critical attitude"
  • at or of a point at which a property or phenomenon suffers an abrupt change especially having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction
    • "a critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C--its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure"
    • "critical mass"
    • "go critical"
  • characterized by careful evaluation and judgment
    • "a critical reading"
    • "a critical dissertation"
    • "a critical analysis of Melville's writings"
  • 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"
  • of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism
    • "critical acclaim"

Adjective Satellite

  • urgently needed; absolutely necessary
    • "a critical element of the plan"
    • "critical medical supplies"
  • forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis
    • "a critical point in the campaign"
    • "the critical test"

Adj

  • Inclined to find fault or criticize.
  • Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis or turning point.
  • Extremely important.
  • Relating to criticism or careful analysis, such as literary or film criticism.
  • 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.
  • In such a condition.
  • Likely to go out of control if disturbed, that is, opposite of stable.
  • Of the point (in temperature, reagent concentration etc.) where a nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.
  • Of a temperature that is equal to the temperature of the critical point of a substance, i.e. the temperature above which the substance cannot be liquefied.
  • Needing great discrimination to be correctly classified; easily confused.

Noun

  • A critical value, factor, etc.
  • In breakdancing, a kind of airflare move in which the dancer hops from one hand to the other.

Origin / Etymology

From Latin criticus + -al, from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from
κρίνω (krínō, “I separate, judge”); also the root of crisis.

Scrabble Score: 12

critical is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
critical is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
critical is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

critical is a valid Words With Friends word