“critical”

Definitions

• adjective

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

  Synonyms: herculean, abstruse, accurate, acute, alarming, allegorizing, annotative, appreciative, arduous, attentive, bad, basic

  Antonyms: uncritical

  • Example:“a critical attitude”

• adjective

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

  Antonyms: noncritical

  • Example:“A critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C — its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure.”
  • Example:“critical mass”

• adjective

  characterized by careful evaluation and judgment

  Antonyms: uncritical

  • Example:“a critical reading”
  • Example:“a critical dissertation”

• adjective

  urgently needed; absolutely necessary

  Synonyms: vital

  • Example:“a critical element of the plan”
  • Example:“critical medical supplies”

• adjective

  forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis

  Synonyms: decisive

  • Example:“a critical point in the campaign”
  • Example:“the critical test”

• adjective

  being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency

  Antonyms: noncritical

  • Example:“a critical shortage of food”
  • Example:“a critical illness”