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. John Fetterman:

   I've always supported fracking and I always believe that independence with our energy is critical, and we can't be held, you know, ransom to somebody like Russia, i've always believed that energy independence is critical and I've always believed that — and I do support fracking, never taken any money from their industry, but I support how critical it is that we produce our energy and create energy independence.

2. Winsome Sears:

   If Critical Race Theory means that telling a child that once you emerge from the womb you are a racist and a colonizer and whatever else, that's not going to be good. Critical Race Theory's going to create morale problems for everybody, if we're going to teach about African American history, why just keep Critical Race Theory to one month ? Let's teach Critical Race Theory throughout. Let's talk about these things. You can't escape history. Let's talk about the good, the bad and the ugly.

3. Joe Biden:

   Most of America’s critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector and critical infrastructure owners and operators must accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors, The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been actively working with organizations across critical infrastructure to rapidly share information and mitigation guidance to help protect their systems and networks.

4. Paul de Man:

   The critical method which denies literary modernity would appear -- and even, in certain respects, would be -- the most modern of critical movements.

5. Aesop:

   In critical moments even the very powerful have need of the weakest.