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
He was flown by helicopter to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston before being taken in critical condition to Sacred Heart Medical Center’s intensive care unit in Spokane, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 21 May 2025
Eighteen hospital beds in the surgical department, including eight in the intensive care unit, were lost as a result.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
After she was transferred to an intensive care unit, an obstetric nurse stayed by her bedside continuously to monitor the fetus’ heart rate and movements.
—Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
After nine weeks in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), the four girls — named Sofía, Philomena, Veronica and Isabel Campos — were discharged on April 2.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 21 May 2025
Eighteen hospital beds in the surgical department, including eight in the intensive care unit, were lost as a result.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
After she was transferred to an intensive care unit, an obstetric nurse stayed by her bedside continuously to monitor the fetus’ heart rate and movements.
—Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
After nine weeks in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), the four girls — named Sofía, Philomena, Veronica and Isabel Campos — were discharged on April 2.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 17 May 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 28 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share