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. Lissa Savaglio:

   [Republicans] are going to take everything that people are afraid of, throw it under ‘critical race theory’ and run with it.

2. Theory Kinnett:

   We don’t have the quotes and theories as state standards per se, we do have Critical Race Theory in how we teach.

3. Joe Biden:

   We're executing a plan in coordination with major oil producing consumers and producers toward a collective investment to secure stability and global energy supply, this will be -- this will blunt gas prices. I want to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump. This is critical to me.

4. Ian Kelly:

   Attempts to change the management of the station, in advance of the appeal process, have profound political implications. In a democratic society, critical opinions should be encouraged, not silenced.

5. David Lammy:

   I'll always be a critical friend of Jeremy's because I'm not entirely won over that the 'left' message is sufficient to win government in this country, the big question is whether a broader offer to the left is enough to win in England.