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critical
/'krɪtɪkəl/
Synonyms of critical Antonyms of critical Examples of critical Usage of critical Parts of critical Definition that contains critical Words sounding like critical Explanation of critical

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Definitions of critical
  1. adjective
    forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis
    "a critical point in the campaign" "the critical test"

    Similar: 

    decisive crucial important
  2. adjective
    urgently needed; absolutely necessary
    "a critical element of the plan" "critical medical supplies"

    Similar: 

    vital indispensable
  3. adjective
    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"

    Similar: 

    supercritical
    Opposite:
    noncritical
  4. adjective
    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"

    Similar: 

    acute serious severe dangerous desperate dire grave grievous life-threatening
    Opposite:
    noncritical
  5. adjective
    characterized by careful evaluation and judgment
    "a critical reading" "a critical dissertation" "a critical analysis of Melville's writings"

    Similar: 

    evaluative judicial appraising discriminative
    Opposite:
    uncritical
  6. adjective
    marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
    "a critical attitude"

    Similar: 

    vituperative captious censorious deprecative faultfinding hypercritical overcritical scathing searing
    Opposite:
    uncritical
  7. of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism
    "critical acclaim"
Examples of critical
  • "a critical point in the campaign"
  • "the critical test"
  • "a critical element of the plan"
  • "critical medical supplies"
  • "a critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C--its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure"
  • "critical mass"
  • "go critical"
  • "a critical shortage of food"
  • "a critical illness"
  • "an illness at the critical stage"
  • "a critical reading"
  • "a critical dissertation"
  • "a critical analysis of Melville's writings"
  • "a critical attitude"
  • "critical acclaim"
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