Meaning & use
critical
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Pointing out faults or showing disapproval of someone or something.
Grammar: Often followed by of: critical of the plan.
Patterns
- critical of someone
- critical of something
The report was highly critical of the company.
She is too critical of herself.
His critical comments upset the team.
adjectivecomparable
Extremely important because the result depends on it.
Grammar: Often followed by to or for: critical to success.
Patterns
- critical to something
- critical for something
Sleep is critical to good health.
The next hour is critical for the rescue.
Clear communication is critical in an emergency.
adjectivenot comparablemedical
Seriously ill or injured, with life in danger.
Grammar: Often after a verb in medical contexts: he is in critical condition.
Patterns
- in critical condition
The patient remains in critical condition.
Two of the injured are critical.
adjectivebefore a noun
Careful in judging the quality or truth of something by looking at it closely.
Grammar: Used before a noun: critical thinking.
Patterns
- critical thinking
- critical analysis
Students learn critical thinking skills.
Read the article with a critical eye.
Word forms
| comparative | more critical |
|---|---|
| superlative | most critical |
Common combinations
- critical thinking
- Critical thinking is taught in this course.
- critical condition
- He was in critical condition.
- critical of
- She was critical of the decision.
- critical moment
- It was a critical moment in the match.
- critical role
- Teachers play a critical role.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disapproving
- Disapproving expresses a feeling, while critical often gives specific faults.
- crucial
- Crucial is a close match for the 'very important' sense and sounds slightly less technical.
- vital
- Vital stresses that something is necessary for life or success.
- analytical
- Analytical is about careful examination, with no sense of finding fault.
Opposites
Word family
- criticize verb
- to point out faults
- criticism noun
- remarks that point out faults
- critic noun
- a person who judges or reviews
- critically adverb
- in a critical way
Commonly confused: critical or crucial?
critical vs crucial
Crucial means decisive and very important; it has no sense of finding fault.
Practice
The review was very ___ the film's slow pacing and weak ending.
Choose one answer.
For finding fault, 'critical of' is the standard pattern. 'Critical to' or 'for' means essential, which changes the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “critical”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.