Synonyms for critical
ˈkrɪt ɪ kəlcrit·i·cal

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. critical

   That is minute which is of exceedingly limited dimensions, as a grain of dust, or which attends to matters of exceedingly slight amount or apparent importance; as, a minute account; minute observation. That which is broken up into minute particles is said to be comminuted; things may be termed fine which would not be termed comminuted; as, fine sand; fine gravel; but, in using the adverb, we say a substance is finely comminuted, comminuted referring more to the process, fine to the result. An account extended to very minute particulars is circumstantial, detailed, particular; an examination so extended is critical, exact, precise. Compare FINE.

   See synonyms for LARGE.

   Synonyms:
   circumstantial, comminuted, detailed, diminutive, exact, fine, little, minute, particular, precise, slender, small, tiny

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 2 votes

1. critical

   Synonyms:
   nice, delicate, exact, fastidious, discriminating, censorious, accurate, dubious, precarious, ticklish, crucial, important, momentous, hazardous

   Antonyms:
   inexact, popular, loose, easy, undiscriminating, safe, determined, decided, settled, retrieved, redressed

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.5 / 8 votes

1. criticaladjective

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

   "a critical attitude"

   Synonyms:
   decisive, vital

   Antonyms:
   uncritical, noncritical, dispensable, acritical, noncrucial

2. criticaladjective

   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"

   Synonyms:
   decisive, vital

   Antonyms:
   noncritical, acritical, noncrucial, dispensable, uncritical

3. criticaladjective

   characterized by careful evaluation and judgment

   "a critical reading"; "a critical dissertation"; "a critical analysis of Melville's writings"

   Synonyms:
   decisive, vital

   Antonyms:
   dispensable, noncrucial, uncritical, acritical, noncritical

4. critical, vitaladjective

   urgently needed; absolutely necessary

   "a critical element of the plan"; "critical medical supplies"; "vital for a healthy society"; "of vital interest"

   Synonyms:
   decisive, lively, full of life, life-sustaining, vital

   Antonyms:
   acritical, uncritical, dispensable, noncritical, noncrucial

5. critical, decisiveadjective

   forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis

   "a critical point in the campaign"; "the critical test"

   Synonyms:
   decisive, vital

   Antonyms:
   uncritical, noncritical, noncrucial, dispensable, acritical

6. criticaladjective

   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"

   Synonyms:
   decisive, vital

   Antonyms:
   acritical, noncritical, uncritical, dispensable, noncrucial

7. criticaladjective

   of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism

   "critical acclaim"

   Synonyms:
   decisive, vital

   Antonyms:
   uncritical, noncritical, noncrucial, acritical, dispensable

Matched Categories

1. • Chemistry
   • Physics

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. criticaladjective

   Synonyms:
   exact, nice, accurate

2. criticaladjective

   Synonyms:
   censorious, carping, cavilling, captious

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:1.5 / 2 votes

1. criticaladjective

   Synonyms:
   discriminating, fastidious, carping, censorious, captious, caviling, zoilean, crucial, momentous, decisive, precarious, climacteric

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:1.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "critical":

   crucial, essential, criticism, decisive, critique, vital, key, critic, criticisms, fundamental, critics, important, critiques, pivotal, indispensable, criticises, serious, core, basic, sensitive, major, critically, imperative, paramount, instrumental, determinants, significant, central

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How to use critical in a sentence?

1. Manchester University sociologist Robert Pettit:

   Disney is a capitalistic corporation bent on consumerism, and that's what drives our economy, it brings out people's opinions about our society and culture in general. You can love them or be very critical of those aspects of our culture and society because it portrays them so well.

2. Chris Cancialosi:

   Hiring the right people is absolutely critical in the beginning, because each person you add will have a significant impact on shaping what will—and won’t—be valued, and how people will behave.

3. Ben Adinoyi:

   They are our eyes and ears on the ground. They are critical to the early identification and containment of new cases.

4. Ralph Waldo Emerson:

   One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.

5. Abby Kiesa:

   Young people were really reaching out to young people. We saw incredible amounts of youth leadership in 2018 and 2020 election, this is one of things that I think is really important for us to think about on this 26th amendment anniversary. It's amazing that young people are taking leadership and involving other young folks in issues that are critical to our nation.