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critical

critical

800 4.0
Very important at a dangerous or decisive moment
  • adjective
  • /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
: crucial
  • Business ethics and social responsibility are critical to the survival of a business enterprise.
  • critical skills
  • play a critical role
  • a critical component

So focus is like so critical in doing a startup.

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Examples

  • Unfortunately, four of them are in critical condition.

  • Timely and appropriate discharge of patients is critical to the efficient operation of a hospital.

    Academic text (2008)
  • I feel like this is a critical moment for us as a species.

  • So the small wins are critical because they all add up.

  • Small businesses are struggling and it's critical to help those businesses.

  • Within the academic library community, copyright is an area of critical importance and growing interest.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Music education during the early years is critical for young children's development in all areas.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Preparation for the transition to school is particularly critical for young children with disabilities.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Pacing is so critical for people with chronic pain.

  • The firefighters made a critical decision to evacuate the building before the flames spread.

Synonyms

important
vscritical
∞ 1.0

A person or thing that matters a lot

is more specifically urgent and decisive at a dangerous moment for survival
key
vscritical
∞ 2.0

Very important for something to work or succeed

is focused on urgent, life or crisis moments rather than general importance
serious
vscritical
∞ 2.0

Important and needing careful thought because it can have large effects

is more about urgent danger that threatens survival at a turning point
central
vscritical
493 2.1

Very important and needed for something to work

stresses immediate danger and decision for survival
crucial
vscritical
437 3.6

Very important for the success or result of something

is about urgent importance at a dangerous turning point for survival
vital
vscritical
405 3.5

Necessary for life or for something to succeed

is about urgent importance at a dangerous turning point for survival
decisive
vscritical
80 4.0

A strong effect that changes the result

is used when importance is urgent and tied to crisis or survival
pivotal
vscritical
69 4.9

Very important for the success of something

is used for urgent moments that decide survival or crisis outcomes
paramount
vscritical
45 6.7

More important than anything else

is concerned specifically with urgent danger or survival, not general priority
momentous
vscritical
  • Formal
43 7.0

Important because it changes what happens next

is about immediate, decisive danger or survival rather than long term effects
all-important
vscritical
41 4.0

Very necessary for a decision or success

is narrower, stressing urgent need at a dangerous or decisive moment

Antonyms

102 4.1

Not important or too small to matter

50 1.9

Not worth attention or notice

1 4.1

Not serious or urgent and not part of a dangerous situation

Compounds

Thinking carefully about information to make a clear decision

20 5.6

Enough people or support for something to start and keep going

A moment when people must make an important decision

Praise and respect from critics for a work like a film or book

A close study of a text or work of art to judge its strengths and weaknesses

Information that is very important for a decision or task

An article that says if a book, play, or film is good and explains why

critical mass
  • Specialized
1 6.2

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

1 4.2

A long article that summarises research on a topic and judges its quality

A situation that needs attention right away because it is very serious

1 9.9

A set of notes and comments that show different text versions and the editor's choices

critical angle
  • Specialized
1 6.4

The smallest angle at which light hits a surface and is totally reflected inside a material

How Critical

vital
405 3.5
crucial
437 3.6
critical
800 4.0
important
∞ 1.0
significant
∞ 2.5

Surface Forms

critical positive
criticaler comparative
criticalest superlative

Morphology

critical = critic (opaque) = critic + al

Although the form can be segmented as critic + -al, the meaning 'extremely important' is not predictable from 'critic' for an average learner.

Etymology

Critical comes from the old Greek word kritikos, from krinein meaning 'to judge'. Doctors once used it for a deciding moment in an illness when they must judge life or death, so critical now means very important or dangerous for survival.