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Definition of critical adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

critical

adjective
 OPAL WOPAL S
 
/ˈkrɪtɪkl/
 
/ˈkrɪtɪkl/
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    expressing disapproval

  1.  
     saying what you think is bad about somebody/something
    • You should just ignore any critical comments.
    • The supervisor is always very critical.
    • critical of somebody/something Some parents are highly critical of the school.
    see also self-critical
    Extra Examples
    • She became openly critical of party policy.
    • The report was highly critical of the company's poor safety record.
    • They issued a critical report on the government's handling of the crisis.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    • remain
    • …
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    preposition
    • of
    See full entry
    2.

    important

  2.  
     extremely important because a future situation will be affected by it synonym crucial
    • Industry leaders are working together to address this critical issue.
    • a critical factor in the election campaign
    • The kidneys play a critical role in overall health.
    • Reducing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is of critical importance.
    • critical to something Your decision is critical to our future.
    • critical for something Timing is critical for success.
    see also business-critical, mission-critical
    Synonyms essentialessentialvital ▪ crucial ▪ critical ▪ decisive ▪ indispensableThese words all describe somebody/​something that is extremely important and completely necessary because a particular situation or activity depends on them.essential extremely important and completely necessary, because without it something cannot exist, be made or be successful:
    • Experience is essential for this job.
    vital essential:
    • The police play a vital role in our society.
     essential or vital?These words have the same meaning but there can be a slight difference in tone. Essential is used to state a fact or opinion with authority. Vital is often used when there is some worry felt about something, or a need to persuade somebody that a fact or opinion is true, right or important. Vital is less often used in negative statements: It was vital to show that he was not afraid. • Money is not vital to happiness. crucial extremely important because a particular situation or activity depends on it:
    • It is crucial that we get this right.
    critical extremely important because a particular situation or activity depends on it:
    • Your decision is critical to our future.
     crucial or critical?These words have the same meaning but there can be a slight difference in context. Critical is often used in technical matters of business or science; crucial is often used to talk about matters that may cause worry or other emotions.decisive of the greatest importance in affecting the final result of a particular situation:
    • She has played a decisive role in the peace negotiations.
    indispensable essential; too important to be without:
    • Cars have become an indispensable part of our lives.
    Patterns
    • essential/​vital/​crucial/​critical/​decisive/​indispensable for something
    • essential/​vital/​crucial/​critical/​indispensable to something
    • essential/​vital/​crucial/​critical that…
    • essential/​vital/​crucial/​critical to do something
    • a(n) essential/​vital/​crucial/​critical/​decisive/​indispensable part/​factor
    • of vital/​crucial/​critical/​decisive importance
    • absolutely essential/​vital/​crucial/​critical/​decisive/​indispensable
    Extra Examples
    • Maintaining control of the budget is absolutely critical for success.
    • This reorganization is critical to the long-term future of the company.
    • Price and availability are the critical factors that will determine product success.
    • If the temperature drops those critical two degrees, the engine will stop functioning.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    adverb
    • really
    • absolutely
    • increasingly
    • …
    preposition
    • for
    • to
    See full entry
    3.

    serious/dangerous

  3.  
     serious, uncertain and possibly dangerous
    • One of the victims of the fire remains in a critical condition.
    • The first 24 hours after the operation are the most critical.
    • This is a critical moment in our country's history.
    • He's at a critical point in his life.
    • a critical step in the process
    see also crisisTopics Dangerb2

    4. making careful judgements

  4.  
     involving making fair, careful judgements about the good and bad qualities of somebody/something
    • His latest film attracted enthusiastic critical comment from cinema-goers.
    • Mike studied the canvas with a critical eye.

    5. of art/music/books, etc.

  5. [only before noun] according to the judgement of critics of art, music, literature, etc.
    • the film director’s greatest critical success
    • In her day she never received the critical acclaim (= praise from the critics) she deserved.
    6. Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘relating to the crisis of a disease’): from late Latin criticus, from Greek kritikos, from kritēs ‘a judge’, from krinein ‘judge, decide’.
See critical in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee critical in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: critical

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