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
Three hours into her third hospital visit, the mother of six began seizing and was transferred unresponsive to the hospital’s intensive care unit.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 10 July 2025
Research Medical Center in Kansas City will end its obstetrics program and close its neonatal intensive care unit this fall, hospital leadership announced in a statement this week.
—Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
Hoffman spent three weeks in an intensive care unit after he and his wife Yvette Hoffman were attacked by a gunman in their home in Champlin around 2 a.m. local time on June 14.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 9 July 2025
Hoffman was released from a hospital intensive care unit and moved to a rehabilitation facility on July 7, family spokesperson Bess Ellenson confirmed to USA TODAY on July 9.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
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Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 10 July 2025
Research Medical Center in Kansas City will end its obstetrics program and close its neonatal intensive care unit this fall, hospital leadership announced in a statement this week.
—Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
Hoffman spent three weeks in an intensive care unit after he and his wife Yvette Hoffman were attacked by a gunman in their home in Champlin around 2 a.m. local time on June 14.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 9 July 2025
Hoffman was released from a hospital intensive care unit and moved to a rehabilitation facility on July 7, family spokesperson Bess Ellenson confirmed to USA TODAY on July 9.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 July 2025
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 24 Jul. 2025.
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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