adj.
Pronunciation: ' kri-ti-k ə l
Function: 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 : being or relating to an illness or condition involving danger of death < critical care> <a patient listed in critical condition> (2) : relating to or being a state in which or a measurement or point at which some quality, property, or phenomenon suffers a definite change < critical temperature> b : CRUCIAL , DECISIVE <a critical test> c : INDISPENSABLE , VITAL <a critical waterfowl habitat> <a component critical to the operation of a machine> d : being in or approaching a state of crisis <a critical shortage> <a critical situation>
2 a : inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably b : consisting of or involving criticism < critical writings> also : of or relating to the judgment of critics <the play was a critical success> c : exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation < critical thinking> d : including variant readings and scholarly emendations <a critical edition>
3 a : of sufficient size to sustain a chain reaction ― used of a mass of fissionable material <a critical mass> b : sustaining a nuclear chain reaction <the reactor went critical >
– crit · i · cal · i · ty \ ˌ kri-t ə - ' ka-l ə -t ē \ noun
– crit · i · cal · ly \ ' kri-ti-k( ə -)l ē \ adverb
– crit · i · cal · ness \ -k ə l-n ə s \ noun
synonyms CRITICAL , HYPERCRITICAL , FAULTFINDING , CAPTIOUS , CARPING , CENSORIOUS mean inclined to look for and point out faults and defects. CRITICAL may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly <a critical essay>. HYPERCRITICAL suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict standards < hypercritical disparagement of other people's work>. FAULTFINDING implies a querulous or exacting temperament <a faultfinding reviewer>. CAPTIOUS suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections on trivial grounds <a captious critic>. CARPING implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of flaws <a carping editorial>. CENSORIOUS implies a disposition to be severely critical and condemnatory <the censorious tone of the review>. synonym see in addition ACUTE