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

How to pronounce critical?

How to say critical in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use critical in a sentence?

1. Judge Castel:

   Judge Castel's decision acknowledges what we have asserted from the beginning, that viewers of' When They See Us' believe that Defendants' utterly false and defamatory portrayal of Linda Fairstein as' a central villain' in' When They See Us' has a basis in truth, we are glad that Linda Fairstein now has the opportunity to pursue Linda Fairstein claims with respect to five critical scenes in the series that falsely depict Ms. Fairstein engaging in coercive and discriminatory conduct in order to build a case against innocent young men of color.

2. Sunny Frothingham:

   Appalachian voters trusted President Trump to understand their needs and create good jobs – 95 percent of the counties covered by the Appalachian Regional Commission voted for him in 2016, cutting the ARC is an outright betrayal of Appalachian communities and would leave them without the funds to implement critical workforce, education and infrastructure projects.

3. Christopher Braden:

   We are in a critical time period in the international spread of the virus, and this action is necessary to try to prevent the spread here.

4. Rick Meckler:

   For most people watching the market, whether it's September or December isn't that critical, most people are assuming it will happen this year. They've already factored that in to the way they look at the market.

5. The Democrat from New York:

   On Monday, I will be in New York with her to meet with doctors, determine a path forward, and begin her treatment, i am sorry to miss some of the Senate Impeachment Trial, which is of critical importance to our democracy.