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

In Brazil, a 32-year-old woman reportedly died after an AI system for assigning hospital beds left her waiting five days to be transferred to an intensive care unit. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026

Additional construction will add 71 patient rooms and a Surgical Trauma Progressive Care Unit, which will provide care for patients who do not require intensive care, but are not stable enough for a general medical surgical unit. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026

Treatment involves antibiotics and sometimes oxygen therapy or intensive care. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

The ambulance is designed to connect children with specialized care as quickly and safely as possible, whether they are being transferred from an emergency department to a pediatric hospital, intensive care unit, or another level of care. — Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 13 July 2026

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