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
All 13 are now eating and drinking properly, though a handful required more intensive care.
—Ryan Brennan
april 27, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
As of Monday, April 27, one sloth, named Bandit, remains in intensive care, the zoo said in an email to USA TODAY.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
After months of intensive care, Good Sprout managed to place nearly all of the birds with adopters — an impressive accomplishment given the scale and complexity of the rescue.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Baby Colsen Knox, who was born premature, will join his younger brother, whom Jones welcomed while Colsen was still in the neonatal intensive care unit.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
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Ryan Brennan
april 27, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
As of Monday, April 27, one sloth, named Bandit, remains in intensive care, the zoo said in an email to USA TODAY.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
After months of intensive care, Good Sprout managed to place nearly all of the birds with adopters — an impressive accomplishment given the scale and complexity of the rescue.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Baby Colsen Knox, who was born premature, will join his younger brother, whom Jones welcomed while Colsen was still in the neonatal intensive care unit.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
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 29 Apr. 2026.
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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