critical

critical
[[t]krɪ̱tɪk(ə)l[/t]]
♦♦
1) ADJ-GRADED A critical time, factor, or situation is extremely important.

The incident happened at a critical point in the campaign...

Environmentalists say a critical factor in the city's pollution is its population...

He says setting priorities is of critical importance...

How you finance a business is critical to the success of your venture.

Syn:
Derived words:
critically [[t]krɪ̱tɪkli[/t]] ADV-GRADED ADV with v, ADV adj

Economic prosperity depends critically on an open world trading system...

It was a critically important moment in his career.

2) ADJ A critical situation is very serious and dangerous.

The German authorities are considering an airlift if the situation becomes critical...

Its day-to-day finances are in a critical state.

Derived words:
critically ADV usu ADV adj

Moscow is running critically low on food supplies.

3) ADJ If a person is critical or in a critical condition in hospital, they are seriously ill.

Ten of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

Derived words:
critically ADV usu ADV adj, also ADV with v

She was critically ill...

A youth was killed and another critically injured.

4) ADJ-GRADED: oft ADJ of n To be critical of someone or something means to criticize them.

His report is highly critical of the trial judge.

...a few dozen intellectuals who've been critical of the regime...

He has apologised for critical remarks he made about the referee.

Derived words:
critically ADV-GRADED

She spoke critically of Lara.

5) ADJ: ADJ n A critical approach to something involves examining and judging it carefully.

We need to become critical text-readers...

Marx's work was more than a critical study of capitalist production.

...the critical analysis of political ideas.

Syn:
Derived words:
critically ADV-GRADED

Wyman watched them critically.

6) ADJ: ADJ n If something or someone receives critical acclaim, critics say that it is very good.

The film met with considerable critical and public acclaim...

The show was also a resounding critical success.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Critical — Crit ic*al (kr[i^]t [i^]*kal), a. [See {Critic}, n., {Crisis}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Qualified to criticise, or pass judgment upon, literary or artistic productions. [1913 Webster] It is submitted to the judgment of more critical ears to direct and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • critical — UK US /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/ adjective ► extremely important to the progress or success of something: critical to/for sth »Logistics and distribution are critical to an e commerce venture s success. »Critical decisions need to be taken. »We see this as a… …   Financial and business terms

  • critical — 1 Critical, hypercritical, faultfinding, captious, caviling, carping, censorious are comparable when they mean exhibiting the spirit of one who detects and points out faults or defects. Critical, when applied to persons who judge and to their… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • critical — [krit′i kəl] adj. 1. tending to find fault; censorious 2. characterized by careful analysis and judgment [a sound critical estimate of the problem] 3. of critics or criticism 4. of or forming a crisis or turning point; decisive 5. dangerous or… …   English World dictionary

  • critical — 1580s, censorious, from CRITIC (Cf. critic) + AL (Cf. al) (1). Meaning pertaining to criticism is from 1741; medical sense is from c.1600; meaning of the nature of a crisis is from 1640s; that of crucial is from 1841, from the decisive sense in L …   Etymology dictionary

  • critical — I (crucial) adjective acute, anceps, chief, climacteric, climactic, commanding, considerable, deciding, decisive, determining, dubius, essential, eventful, exigent, far reaching, fateful, foremost, grave, imperative, important, imposing, key,… …   Law dictionary

  • critical — [adj1] fault finding, detracting analytical, belittling, biting, calumniatory, captious, carping, caviling, cavillous, censorious, censuring, choleric, condemning, critic, cutting, cynical, demanding, demeaning, derogatory, diagnostic,… …   New thesaurus

  • critical — ► ADJECTIVE 1) expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgements. 2) expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work. 3) having a decisive importance in the success or failure of something;… …   English terms dictionary

  • critical — crit|i|cal W2S2 [ˈkrıtıkəl] adj ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(criticizing)¦ 2¦(important)¦ 3¦(serious/worrying)¦ 4¦(ill)¦ 5 the critical list 6¦(making judgments)¦ 7¦(art/literature)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1.) ¦(CRITICIZING)¦ if you are critical, you criticize s …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • critical — adjective Date: 1547 1. a. of, relating to, or being a turning point or specially important juncture < a critical phase >: as (1) relating to or being the stage of a disease at which an abrupt change for better or worse may be expected; also… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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