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

2

: 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 noun

an intensive-care nurse

Examples of intensive care in a Sentence

Her condition will require intensive care.

Recent Examples on the Web

The teenager was on the Thames Ward, which is a psychiatric intensive care unit known as a PICU, at the hospital and CCTV footage played to the jury showed her in the television room with her support worker, a man who went by the name Ebo Achempong, in her final moments, Sky News reported. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Dad spent three days in the intensive care unit before being moved to regular floor unit room and then sprung this weekend for some helpful rehab. —Phil Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025

Researchers created a breeding strategy that included monitoring reproductive behavior, strict incubation management and intensive care after birth, according to the release. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025

The guild's Cuddle Care program provides quilts to children in the hospital, including those in the pediatric intensive care unit. —Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for intensive care

• extraordinaire
• multimillionaire
• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare

Kids Definition

intensive care

noun

: continuous monitoring and treatment of seriously ill patients using special medical equipment and services

also : a unit in a hospital providing intensive care

Medical Definition

intensive care

1 of 2 noun

1

: 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

2

: 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

intensive 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