intensive care
noun
1
: the continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
Many of the sickest patients need intensive care, even to the point of being connected to a mechanical respirator.—
Lawrence K. Altman
Lawrence K. Altman2
: a designated area in a hospital providing intensive care : intensive care unit
heart patients in intensive care
… short of breath and feverish, doctors isolated him in intensive care.—Elisabeth Rosenthal
—often hyphenated when used before another nounElisabeth Rosenthalan intensive-care nurse
Examples of intensive care in a Sentence
Her condition will require intensive care.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ramos experienced a severe allergic reaction during the surgery but was not moved to intensive care for another half-hour.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The next day, Nelson said Damas was on life support in intensive care with pneumonia.
—Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
In the event of a mass-casualty incident involving severely ill children, the hospital has prepared an intensive care unit capable of accommodating up to 20 patients at a time.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Early research has shown promising outcomes, including a drastic drop in evictions and fewer preterm births and neonatal intensive care unit admissions.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
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ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The next day, Nelson said Damas was on life support in intensive care with pneumonia.
—Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
In the event of a mass-casualty incident involving severely ill children, the hospital has prepared an intensive care unit capable of accommodating up to 20 patients at a time.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Early research has shown promising outcomes, including a drastic drop in evictions and fewer preterm births and neonatal intensive care unit admissions.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
Cite this Entry
“Intensive care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intensive%20care. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
intensive care
1 of 2 noun1
: the continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
She required intensive care and survived without sequelae.—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: a designated area in a hospital providing intensive care : intensive care unit
heart patients in intensive care
a patient isolated in intensive care
He spent several days in intensive care before recovering from the overdose.—Jerome Groopman
Jerome Groopmanintensive care
2 of 2 adjective
variants
also intensive-care
: providing or concerned with continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
intensive care medicine
an intensive-care nurse
also
: receiving medical care in an intensive care unit
intensive care patients
compare acute care, chronic care
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