critical condition
noun
plural critical conditions
medical
: a serious state in which an ill or injured individual has dangerously unstable or abnormal vital signs and typically requires short-term life support measures (such as mechanical respiration or defibrillation) for stabilization and support prior to or during recovery
The man sustained serious injuries and is still unconscious and in critical condition at Salina Hope Hospital.—
Ingrid Law
Ingrid LawA 12-year-old girl was in critical condition today at Children's Hospital with the rare but often deadly hantavirus.—The New York Times
The New York TimesExamples of critical condition in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One person was initially hospitalized in critical condition, while the other six suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
The teenager was transported to an area hospital and was listed in extremely critical condition, according to the Hartford Police Department.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in critical condition.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
The 29-year-old Hebron motorist driving the wrong way was listed in critical condition after she was extricated by Hobart firefighters and airlifted to a Chicago hospital.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
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Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
The teenager was transported to an area hospital and was listed in extremely critical condition, according to the Hartford Police Department.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in critical condition.
—Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
The 29-year-old Hebron motorist driving the wrong way was listed in critical condition after she was extricated by Hobart firefighters and airlifted to a Chicago hospital.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for critical condition
Cite this Entry
“Critical condition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20condition. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
critical condition
noun
: a serious medical state in which an ill or injured individual has dangerously unstable or abnormal vital signs and typically requires short-term life support measures (such as mechanical respiration or defibrillation) for stabilization and support prior to or during recovery
The safe transport of infants in critical condition requires highly reliable inter-professional transport teams that are equipped with the expertise to provide neonatal care in unfamiliar and resource-limited environments.—Douglas M. Campbell and Rita Dadiz, Seminars in Perinatology
Douglas M. Campbell and Rita Dadiz, Seminars in PerinatologyThe large number of patients with COVID-19, suspected cases, hospitalizations, and patients in critical condition has made the medical work incredibly hard.—Jing Huang et al., Clinical Infectious Diseases
Jing Huang et al., Clinical Infectious DiseasesLove words? Need even more definitions?
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