Adj. | 1. | critical - marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws; "a critical attitude" Antonyms: uncritical - not critical; not tending to find or call attention to errors; "a devoted and almost uncritical admirer" |
2. | critical - at or of a point at which a property or phenomenon suffers an abrupt change especially having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction; "a critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C--its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure"; "critical mass"; "go critical" Antonyms: noncritical - not critical; not at a point of abrupt change | |
3. | critical - characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; "a critical reading"; "a critical dissertation"; "a critical analysis of Melville's writings" Antonyms: uncritical, noncritical - marked by disregard for critical standards or procedures; "news sources reflected uncritical estimates of the number of juvenile addicts" | |
4. | critical - urgently needed; absolutely necessary; "a critical element of the plan"; "critical medical supplies"; "vital for a healthy society"; "of vital interest" Synonyms: vital | |
5. | critical - forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis; "a critical point in the campaign"; "the critical test" Synonyms: decisive | |
6. | critical - being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency; "a critical shortage of food"; "a critical illness"; "an illness at the critical stage" Antonyms: noncritical, noncrucial - not in a state of crisis or emergency | |
7. | critical - of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism; "critical acclaim" |