Critical — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈkri-ti-kəl/ crit·i·cal

Meaning & Definition of Critical

Critical (adjective)

  1. inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably
  2. consisting of or involving criticism
  3. of or relating to the judgment of critics

Critical (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things

    "adults tend to be critical of teenagers' taste in music and movies"

    similar: captious, carping, caviling, faultfinding, hypercritical, judgmental, overcritical, rejective
    related: discerning, discriminating, judicious, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicky, fussy, nitpicky, particular, picky, pettifogging, quibbling, harsh, merciless, uncharitable, unforgiving
    opposite: uncritical
    near: undiscriminating, undemanding, unfussy, charitable, forgiving

  2. needing immediate attention

    "this problem isn't critical, so we can go home now and tend to it in the morning"

    similar: acute, burning, clamant, compelling, crying, dire, emergent, exigent, imperative, imperious, importunate, instant, necessitous, pressing, urgent
    related: demanding, extreme, immediate, insistent, intense, overriding, crucial, desperate, grave, life-and-death, serious, severe, vital, dangerous, explosive, hazardous, perilous, precarious, unstable
    opposite: noncritical, nonurgent
    near: incidental, low-pressure, minor, negligible, trivial, unimportant, nonthreatening, safe, stable

  3. of the greatest possible importance

    "this is the critical exam that will largely determine your college career"

    similar: crucial, key, pivotal, vital
    related: decisive, life-and-death, weighty, basic, elementary, fundamental, essential, indispensable, instrumental, necessary, requisite, pressing, urgent
    near: inconsequential, insignificant, minor, trivial, unimportant

  4. impossible to do without

    "critical information for an informed medical diagnosis"

    similar: all-important, essential, imperative, indispensable, integral, must-have, necessary, necessitous, needed, needful, required, requisite, vital, of the essence
    related: prerequisite, compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, obligatory, consequential, crucial, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, weighty, basic, central, fundamental, key, organic, insistent, persistent, pressing, urgent
    opposite: dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded
    near: undesired, unwanted, inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, excess, external, extra, extraneous, superfluous, surplus

Related Entry: Self-critical (adjective)

Self-critical is a different word from Critical. The synonyms below are for self-critical, not for critical.

  1. as in diffident, self-doubting

    similar: diffident, self-distrustful, self-doubting, self-reproachful, self-reproving, egoless, humble, modest, uncomplacent, meek, timid, unassertive, down-to-earth, unarrogant, unassuming, unpretentious, bashful, demure, introverted, mousy, overmodest, retiring, sheepish, shrinking, shy
    opposite: assured, biggety (Southern & Midland), bigheaded, complacent, conceited, consequential, egoistic, egotistic, important, overweening, pompous, prideful, proud, self-conceited, self-important, self-opinionated, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, swellheaded, vain, vainglorious, blusterous, blustery, boastful, bombastic, braggart, bragging, braggy, cocky, swaggering, arrogant, assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, disdainful, fastuous, haughty, high-and-mighty, high-hat, huffy, lofty, lordly, masterful, peremptory, pontifical, self-asserting, self-assertive, snobbish, snobby, snooty, supercilious, superior, toplofty, uppish, uppity

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Critical

The most common words with a similar meaning to Critical:

captious, carping, caviling, faultfinding, hypercritical, judgmental, overcritical, rejective, acute, burning, clamant, compelling, crying, dire, emergent, exigent, imperative, imperious, importunate, instant, necessitous, pressing, urgent, crucial, key, pivotal, vital, all-important, essential, indispensable, integral, must-have, necessary, needed, needful, required, requisite, of the essence

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Critical

Words with the opposite meaning of Critical:

uncritical, noncritical, nonurgent, dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded

Related Words for Critical

discerning, discriminating, judicious, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicky, fussy, nitpicky, particular, picky, pettifogging, quibbling, harsh, merciless, uncharitable, unforgiving, extreme, immediate, insistent, intense, overriding, desperate, grave, life-and-death, serious, severe, dangerous, explosive

Near Antonyms of Critical

undiscriminating, undemanding, unfussy, charitable, forgiving, incidental, low-pressure, minor, negligible, trivial, unimportant, nonthreatening, safe, stable, inconsequential, insignificant, undesired, unwanted, excess, external, extra, extraneous, superfluous, surplus

Word Forms of Critical

Derived words: critically (adverb), criticalness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Critical

in sense "being at a turning point," from 16th-17th century cretike, criticke "at a turning point" (Middle English cretic, borrowed from Late Latin criticus "at a turning point, decisive," borrowed from Greek kritikós, taken as derivative of krísis crisis, replacing earlier krísimos) + -al:1; in sense "inclined to criticize, involving criticism," from critic:1 + -al:1 critic:1

First known use: 1556

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Critical

Words & Phrases Containing Critical

critical angle, critical care, critical care unit, critical condition, critical mass, critical point, critical race theory, critical region, critical thinking

Frequently Asked Questions about Critical

What does "Critical" mean?

"Critical" means inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably. As an adjective, it is defined as: inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Critical"?

Other words for "Critical" include captious, carping, caviling, faultfinding, hypercritical, judgmental, overcritical and rejective. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Critical" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Critical"?

There are 94 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Critical". Common alternatives include captious, carping, caviling, faultfinding, hypercritical, judgmental, overcritical, rejective, acute and burning.

What is the opposite of "Critical"?

Antonyms of "Critical" include uncritical, noncritical, nonurgent, dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential and unessential. Near antonyms include undiscriminating, undemanding, unfussy and charitable.

How do you use "Critical" in a sentence?

Examples of "Critical" in a sentence: "adults tend to be critical of teenagers' taste in music and movies"; "this problem isn't critical, so we can go home now and tend to it in the morning"; "this is the critical exam that will largely determine your college career".

Is "Critical" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Critical" is an adjective.

Is "Critical" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Critical" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Critical"?

"Critical" is pronounced /ˈkri-ti-kəl/ and divided into syllables as crit·i·cal.