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 virus was first detected by health officials in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 2 after a British man became sick and was taken into intensive care, 21 days after another passenger had died. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 May 2026

Thus, if people do not live close to health facilities with intensive care units or advanced life-support technology, namely ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), they would likely be advised to stay in Omaha. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026

While taking care of two premature babies, who arrived nine weeks before their due date, got in the way of their initial wedding plans, the couple decided to tie the knot right there in the AdventHealth for Children hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). —Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026

In the unit, which is equipped like an intensive care unit, patients can range from well and stable to critically ill. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 11 May 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