Standard Lemma guide

critical

adj · noun · 21 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kəl/
  • US: /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kəl/
  • US: [ˈkɹɪɾ.ɪ.kəl]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K R IH1 T IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Inclined to find fault or criticize.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A good teacher is fair but critical.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fastidious, captious, censorious, exacting, judgmental

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis or turning point.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This is a critical moment.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Extremely important.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It's critical that you deliver this on time.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crucial, imperative

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Relating to criticism or careful analysis, such as literary or film criticism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The movie was a critical success, but bombed at the box-office.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Relating to criticism or careful analysis, such as literary or film criticism.

Employing or related to textual criticism, particularly through a stemmatological comparison of all extant texts and reconstruction of the original.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences, textual-criticism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • The patient's condition is critical.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

In such a condition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • The patient is critical.
  • Two critical after fatal Wimbledon school crash

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adj

Meaning 8

Likely to go out of control if disturbed, that is, opposite of stable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The political situation was so critical that the government declared the state of siege.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adj

Meaning 9

Of the point (in temperature, reagent concentration etc.) where a nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

Examples

  • The reaction was about to become critical.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adj

Meaning 10

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adj

Meaning 11

Needing great discrimination to be correctly classified; easily confused.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

Examples

  • critical plants

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

A critical value, factor, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

critical hit

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crit

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

In breakdancing, a kind of airflare move in which the dancer hops from one hand to the other.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

adjective

Meaning 15

marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a critical attitude

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: uncritical

16

adjective

Meaning 16

characterized by careful evaluation and judgment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a critical reading
  • a critical dissertation
  • a critical analysis of Melville's writings

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: uncritical

17

adjective

Meaning 17

being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a critical shortage of food
  • a critical illness
  • an illness at the critical stage

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: noncritical

18

adjective

Meaning 18

at or of a point at which a property or phenomenon suffers an abrupt change especially having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C--its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure
  • critical mass
  • go critical

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: noncritical

19

adjective

Meaning 19

of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • critical acclaim

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

20

adjective satellite

Meaning 20

forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a critical point in the campaign
  • the critical test

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decisive

Antonyms: none provided

21

adjective satellite

Meaning 21

urgently needed; absolutely necessary

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a critical element of the plan
  • critical medical supplies
  • vital for a healthy society
  • of vital interest

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vital

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *krey- Proto-Indo-European *krinyétider. Proto-Hellenic *kríňňō Ancient Greek κρῑ́νω (krī́nō) Ancient Greek κρῐ- (krĭ-) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek κρῐτής (krĭtḗs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós)bor. Latin criticus Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English critical From Latin criticus + English -al.

Across languages

Translations

156 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: النقد — inclined to find fault
  • Bulgarian: придиращ (pridirašt) — inclined to find fault
  • Catalan: crític — inclined to find fault
  • Czech: kritický — inclined to find fault
  • Dutch: kritisch — inclined to find fault
  • Finnish: kriittinen — inclined to find fault
  • Finnish: kritisoiva — inclined to find fault
  • Finnish: arvosteleva — inclined to find fault
  • French: critique — inclined to find fault
  • German: kritisch — inclined to find fault
  • Greek: επικριτικός (epikritikós) — inclined to find fault
  • Hebrew: ביקורתי (bikortí) — inclined to find fault
  • Hungarian: bíráló — inclined to find fault
  • Hungarian: kritikus — inclined to find fault
  • Indonesian: kritis — inclined to find fault
  • Irish: beachtaíoch — inclined to find fault
  • Irish: breithiúnach — inclined to find fault
  • Italian: critico — inclined to find fault
  • Japanese: 批判的な (hihanteki na) — inclined to find fault
  • Khmer: ដែលរកតែកំហុស (dael rɔɔk tae kɑmhoh) — inclined to find fault
  • Korean: 비판적 (bipanjeok) — inclined to find fault
  • Māori: kakawa — inclined to find fault
  • Persian: عیبجو ('eyb-ju) — inclined to find fault
  • Persian: ایرادگیر (irâd-gir) — inclined to find fault
  • Portuguese: crítico — inclined to find fault
  • Russian: приди́рчивый (pridírčivyj) — inclined to find fault
  • Sicilian: crìticu — inclined to find fault
  • Slovak: kritický — inclined to find fault
  • Spanish: crítico — inclined to find fault
  • Swedish: kritisk — inclined to find fault
  • Thai: ชอบจับผิด — inclined to find fault
  • Ukrainian: крити́чний (krytýčnyj) — inclined to find fault
  • Bulgarian: преломен (prelomen) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Catalan: crític — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Dutch: kritiek — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Finnish: kriittinen — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • German: kritisch — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • German: entscheidend — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Greek: κρίσιμος (krísimos) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Hungarian: kritikus — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Hungarian: válságos — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Indonesian: kritis — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Italian: incerto — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Italian: critico — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Italian: delicato — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Japanese: 危ない (abunai) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Japanese: 危うい (ayaui) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Japanese: 危殆な (kitai na) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Persian: بحرانی (bohrâni) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Russian: крити́ческий (kritíčeskij) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Russian: перело́мный (perelómnyj) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Serbo-Croatian: prijélomnī — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Sicilian: crìticu — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Slovak: kritický — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Slovak: rozhodujúci — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Spanish: álgido — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Thai: ภาวะวิกฤติ — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Turkish: kritik — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Ukrainian: крити́чний (krytýčnyj) — pertaining to or indicating a crisis
  • Breton: eizik — extremely important
  • Bulgarian: много важен (mnogo važen) — extremely important
  • Bulgarian: решителен (rešitelen) — extremely important
  • Catalan: crític — extremely important
  • Chinese Mandarin: 关键的 — extremely important
  • Dutch: kritiek — extremely important
  • Esperanto: kriza — extremely important
  • Finnish: äärimmäisen tärkeä — extremely important
  • German: entscheidend — extremely important
  • German: wesentlich — extremely important
  • German: wichtig — extremely important
  • German: unverzichtbar — extremely important
  • German: unabdingbar — extremely important
  • German: unerlässlich — extremely important
  • Greek: κρίσιμος (krísimos) — extremely important
  • Ancient Greek: κρίσιμος (krísimos) — extremely important
  • Hungarian: kritikus — extremely important
  • Italian: essenziale — extremely important
  • Italian: fondamentale — extremely important
  • Italian: determinante — extremely important
  • Latin: sonticus — extremely important
  • Persian: حیاتی (hayâti) — extremely important
  • Polish: arcyważny — extremely important
  • Portuguese: crítico — extremely important
  • Russian: крити́ческий (kritíčeskij) — extremely important
  • Russian: реши́тельный (rešítelʹnyj) — extremely important
  • Slovak: kritický — extremely important
  • Slovak: dôležitý — extremely important
  • Spanish: clave — extremely important
  • Spanish: trascendental — extremely important
  • Spanish: coyuntural — extremely important
  • Spanish: crítico — extremely important
  • Thai: สําคัญอย่างยิ่ง — extremely important
  • Ukrainian: крити́чний (krytýčnyj) — extremely important
  • Armenian: քննական (kʻnnakan) — relating to criticism
  • Bulgarian: критичен (kritičen) — relating to criticism
  • Catalan: crític — relating to criticism
  • Dutch: kritisch — relating to criticism
  • Finnish: arvostelu- — relating to criticism
  • German: Kritiker- — relating to criticism
  • German: Kritik- — relating to criticism
  • Greek: κριτικός (kritikós) — relating to criticism
  • Hungarian: kritikai — relating to criticism
  • Irish: cáinteach — relating to criticism
  • Irish: criticiúil — relating to criticism
  • Kazakh: сыншыл (synşyl) — relating to criticism
  • Kazakh: сыни (syni) — relating to criticism
  • Korean: 비판적 (bipanjeok) — relating to criticism
  • Persian: انتقادی (enteqâdi) — relating to criticism
  • Russian: крити́ческий (kritíčeskij) — relating to criticism
  • Slovak: kritický — relating to criticism
  • Spanish: crítico — relating to criticism
  • Thai: เกี่ยวกับการวิจารณ์ — relating to criticism
  • Ukrainian: крити́чний (krytýčnyj) — relating to criticism
  • Finnish: kriittinen — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • German: bedenklich — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • German: kritisch — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Greek: κρίσιμος (krísimos) — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Hungarian: kritikus — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Icelandic: krítískur — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Indonesian: kritis — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Italian: critico — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Japanese: 危ない (abunai) — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Japanese: 危うい (ayaui) — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Japanese: 危殆な (kitai na) — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Slovak: kritický — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Slovene: kritičnem — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Swedish: kritisk — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Thai: ขั้นวิกฤต — medicine: involving unstable vital signs
  • Catalan: crític — likely to go wrong
  • Dutch: kritiek — likely to go wrong
  • Finnish: kriittinen — likely to go wrong
  • Greek: κρίσιμος (krísimos) — likely to go wrong
  • Hungarian: kritikus — likely to go wrong
  • Italian: critico — likely to go wrong
  • Slovak: kritický — likely to go wrong
  • Thai: วิกฤต (wí-grìt) — likely to go wrong
  • Breton: eizik — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Bulgarian: критичен (kritičen) — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Catalan: crític — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Czech: kritický — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Dutch: kritiek — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Finnish: kriittinen — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • French: critique — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • German: kritisch — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Hungarian: kritikus — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Irish: criticiúil — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Italian: critico — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Kazakh: аумалы (aumaly) — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Slovak: kritický — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Spanish: crítico — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Thai: หัวเลี้ยวหัวต่อ — of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining
  • Finnish: kriittinen — of temperature
  • Italian: critico — of temperature
  • Slovak: kritický — of temperature
  • Swedish: kritiskt värde — A critical value, factor, etc
  • Swedish: krit — A critical value, factor, etc
Real reading context

critical in complete knowledge articles

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