| Adj. | 1. | critical - marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws; "a critical attitude"unfavorable, unfavourable - not encouraging or approving or pleasing; "unfavorable conditions"; "an unfavorable comparison"; "unfavorable comments" sarcastic - expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds 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"chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions 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"discerning - having or revealing keen insight and good judgment; "a discerning critic"; "a discerning reader" scholarly - characteristic of scholars or scholarship; "scholarly pursuits"; "a scholarly treatise"; "a scholarly attitude" 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"indispensable - not to be dispensed with; essential; "foods indispensable to good nutrition" | |
| 5. | critical - forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis; "a critical point in the campaign"; "the critical test"crucial, important - of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis; "a crucial moment in his career"; "a crucial election"; "a crucial issue for women" | |
| 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"crucial, important - of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis; "a crucial moment in his career"; "a crucial election"; "a crucial issue for women" | |
| 7. | critical - of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism; "critical acclaim" | |