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

The family’s bearded dragon survived after spending 24 hours in critical care, officials said. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 14 July 2026

The transport team is made up of experienced critical care paramedics who have received additional pediatric and neonatal training. — Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Medicines are used in haematology, immunotherapy and critical care. — John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2026

Roy, who practices critical care medicine in Kolkata, developed the film through two years of fieldwork with rural villages and slum communities across West Bengal. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 June 2026

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