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critical thinking
logical thinking
strategic thinking
crucial thinking
rational thinking
analytical thinking
a critical point
a crucial point
a vital point
a climactic point
an analytical point
a climatic point
critical importance
crucial importance
major importance
significant importance
essential importance
extreme importance
a critical review
a skeptical review
a careful review
a cynical review
a negative review
an analytical review
a critical period
an important period
a significant period
a definitive period
an essential period
a pivotal period

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective critical contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of critical are captious, carping, censorious, faultfinding, and hypercritical. While all these words mean "inclined to look for and point out faults and defects," critical may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly.

a critical essay

When might captious be a better fit than critical?

While the synonyms captious and critical are close in meaning, captious suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections on trivial grounds.

a captious critic

Where would carping be a reasonable alternative to critical?

The synonyms carping and critical are sometimes interchangeable, but carping implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of flaws.

a carping editorial

When could censorious be used to replace critical?

The words censorious and critical can be used in similar contexts, but censorious implies a disposition to be severely critical and condemnatory.

the censorious tone of the review

When can faultfinding be used instead of critical?

Although the words faultfinding and critical have much in common, faultfinding implies a querulous or exacting temperament.

a faultfinding reviewer

When is it sensible to use hypercritical instead of critical?

The words hypercritical and critical are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hypercritical suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict standards.

hypercritical disparagement of other people's work

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of critical Similarly, the United States wants to restrict China from acquiring certain kinds of advanced technology, such as tools and components critical to manufacturing semiconductors. Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 Magnesium is a mineral needed to regulate blood pressure, nerve function, and many other critical body processes. Jillian Kubala, Health, 24 June 2025 The honorees will receive grants of up to $110,000 annually for up to five years to conduct research on critical topics in neuroscience, cancer, immunology and pain. Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 June 2025 The lasting impact of the 1953 coup While the U.S. and Iran have butt heads over a range of issues since the 1979 revolution and hostage crisis, including years of strife over Iran’s nuclear program, the 1953 coup remains a critical event still invoked in modern Iran. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for critical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for critical
Adjective
  • Pollsters rarely use judgmental language like that these days.
    Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • Related Stories Woman Claps Back at Mother-in-Law Over Daycare Drama Woman Says Family Called Her 'Disgusting' After Pregnancy Announcement Another person said that the OP seems slightly judgmental.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Too Much Going On Limits Executive Team Performance Today’s executive teams are pulled in more directions than ever—global priorities, cross-functional initiatives, urgent issues, never-ending decks.
    Elizabeth Freedman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • In response, researchers and experts are sounding the alarm—calling for urgent, comprehensive solutions to reverse these trends and support youth wellbeing.
    Semafor Events, semafor.com, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • The 34-year-old Argentine goalkeeper wasn’t overworked, as Rayados’ defensive shape only gave him 10 shots on target to deal with across the three contests, but his stops were crucial.
    The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • This innovative process achieves heat treatment speeds that are 25 times faster while occupying significantly less space, addressing crucial scalability issues that have long impeded the commercialization of solid-state batteries.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • They were often found handing out doughnuts to essential workers in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2025
  • Pollinators are essential for the reproduction of more than 75% of the world’s flowering plants and nearly 35% of global food crops.1 To help these hard workers out, eco-conscious gardeners are turning to simple, effective solutions, like pollinator pots and bowls.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Since then, Ben & Jerry’s politics have been a headache for its parent, and the tensions between the two have grown more acute as the business community got swept into the culture wars — first pulled to the left in the mid-2010s, then retreating rightward under the second Trump administration.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 30 June 2025
  • Decades later, that feeling is more acute: the gay beach in Chicago where it was taken no longer exists, memorialized today by a 2.5-acre garden in memory of those who lost their lives to AIDS.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Here’s a look at the factors that will tip the scales: A key piece could come as soon as this week.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 June 2025
  • The key measure of Wall Street’s health fell nearly 20% from Feb. 19 through April 8.
    Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Doctors complain the process is burdensome and it's often used to delay or deny medically necessary medical care for patients.
    Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 24 June 2025
  • Without marketing, firms would be unable to get information out necessary to make a drug salable in the first place.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • All three platforms can cite one particular business for helping drive recent success: financial services.
    Lionel Lim, Fortune, 22 June 2025
  • And everyone’s taking sides in this particular feud.
    Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Critical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/critical. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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