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
Two other girls - ages 8 and 11 - were rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where she was listed in critical condition, police said.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
The injured man was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in critical condition, according to a Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson.
BNSF Railway has been notified because the accident occurred in its jurisdiction, police said.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2025
The man was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and was listed in critical condition, according to police spokesman Lt. Jonathan Cunningham.
—David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 1 Aug. 2025
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Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where she was listed in critical condition, police said.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
The injured man was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in critical condition, according to a Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson.
BNSF Railway has been notified because the accident occurred in its jurisdiction, police said.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2025
The man was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and was listed in critical condition, according to police spokesman Lt. Jonathan Cunningham.
—David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 1 Aug. 2025
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 7 Aug. 2025.
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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