critical

adj. extremely important or necessary for something to succeed.

adj. of decisive importance to the success, failure, or existence of something.

“The next few minutes are critical for the success of the mission.”

“Securing the funding by the end of the quarter is critical to the long-term viability of the research project.”

adj. saying that someone or something is bad or wrong.

adj. expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgments.

“He is very critical of the way the government handles the economy.”

“The director was notoriously critical of his lead actors, often demanding dozens of retakes for even the simplest scenes.”

adj. extremely ill and at risk of dying.

adj. relating to a patient condition involving unstable vital signs and a high risk of death.

“The driver was taken to the hospital and remains in critical condition.”

“After the surgery, the patient was moved to the intensive care unit where she remains in critical but stable condition.”

adj. giving a careful and fair judgment of something like a book or movie.

adj. involving the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.

“Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills in this course.”

“The essay provides a critical analysis of the author's later works, highlighting the shift in thematic focus.”

Academic

adj. the point where a physical change happens, like a nuclear reaction starting.

adj. relating to the point at which a nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.

“The reactor reached a critical state and began producing power.”

“The experiment failed because the fuel did not reach the critical mass required to sustain a chain reaction.”

Technical