critical care

noun

1

: the monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients : intensive care

Critical care involves the use of life-sustaining, high-technology medicine catering to a patient population that extends to both extremes of age. In adult ICUs, the average age is increasing and is now commonly well over 60 years.

—Simon Finfer and Jean-Louis Vincent

2

: a designated area of a hospital providing critical care : intensive care unit

The death toll rose from six to at least 12, with scores of people needing hospital treatment and some in critical care.

—Heather Brooke

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

critical-care nursing

a critical-care bed

see also critical care unit

Examples of critical care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hospital officials have said that, despite the changes, Mercy Medical Center continues to provide health care services including emergency and critical care without any gaps in coverage. —R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2025

According to the organization’s official press release, Samaritan’s Purse is establishing a full-scale emergency field hospital equipped with an emergency room, laboratory, pharmacy, critical care unit, and two permanent operating rooms. —Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025

It's raised more than $13 million since 2014 for statewide trauma and critical care programs, including those for drivers and patrons at the IU Health Emergency Medical Center located at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. —Arika Herron, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025

Anna has interests in addiction medicine, improving access to care, and critical care medicine. —Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, Md, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for critical care

• concessionaire
• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare

Kids Definition

critical care

noun

: intensive care