critical
- adjective
- /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
- Specialized
- Hope to reach a point of critical mass that'll start a chain reaction of people coming forward.
- critical mass
- critical value
- critical threshold
Examples
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Mankind must unite at this critical juncture.
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But right now this is getting to critical mass.
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All I need is enough evidence to convince a critical mass of people.
Fiction book (2000) -
And blood pressure drops, heart rate drops to critical level.
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Listen, Dr. Rumack says the sick people are in critical condition.
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Although AID now plays a larger role, PVOs still occupy a critical position within the program.
Academic text (1991) -
It ended up gathering sort of a critical mass of regular attendees.
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Sahn's mom knows what the experts know: Sahn is at a critical point.
Academic text (2011) -
Perhaps a more critical factor in the nuclear equation is Saudi Arabia's economic outlook.
Academic text (2013) -
The experiment will only succeed if it reaches a point of critical mass for the nuclear reaction.
Antonyms
Compounds
A close study of a text or work of art to judge its strengths and weaknesses
- Specialized
The smallest amount of nuclear material needed to start and keep a chain reaction
A careful step-by-step check of information to decide how useful or true it is
- Formal
A long article that summarises research on a topic and judges its quality
- Jargon
A set of notes and comments that show different text versions and the editor's choices
- Specialized
The smallest angle at which light hits a surface and is totally reflected inside a material
How Critical
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Critical comes from the old Greek kritikos, from krinein meaning 'to judge', and it carried the idea of a deciding point. That's why in science critical describes the exact point or mass where a sudden or important change can happen, like a reactor starting a chain reaction.