critical condition
noun
plural critical conditions
medical
: a serious state in which an ill or injured individual has dangerously unstable or abnormal vital signs and typically requires short-term life support measures (such as mechanical respiration or defibrillation) for stabilization and support prior to or during recovery
The man sustained serious injuries and is still unconscious and in critical condition at Salina Hope Hospital.—
Ingrid Law
Ingrid LawA 12-year-old girl was in critical condition today at Children's Hospital with the rare but often deadly hantavirus.—The New York Times
The New York TimesExamples of critical condition in a Sentence
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First responders rescued the woman from the river on Saturday night, soon after the crash occurred along Beach Street about 5:45 p.m., and she was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2025
The victim, whose exact age was not immediately available, was taken with multiple injuries to her body to Mount Sinai Hospital and listed in critical condition.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Myers was airlifted to a hospital in Pittsburgh in critical condition, according to the outlet.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
One person, described only as a male in his 40s, was taken to a nearby hospital with burns and in critical condition.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
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Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2025
The victim, whose exact age was not immediately available, was taken with multiple injuries to her body to Mount Sinai Hospital and listed in critical condition.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Myers was airlifted to a hospital in Pittsburgh in critical condition, according to the outlet.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
One person, described only as a male in his 40s, was taken to a nearby hospital with burns and in critical condition.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for critical condition
Cite this Entry
“Critical condition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20condition. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
critical condition
noun
: a serious medical state in which an ill or injured individual has dangerously unstable or abnormal vital signs and typically requires short-term life support measures (such as mechanical respiration or defibrillation) for stabilization and support prior to or during recovery
The safe transport of infants in critical condition requires highly reliable inter-professional transport teams that are equipped with the expertise to provide neonatal care in unfamiliar and resource-limited environments.—Douglas M. Campbell and Rita Dadiz, Seminars in Perinatology
Douglas M. Campbell and Rita Dadiz, Seminars in PerinatologyThe large number of patients with COVID-19, suspected cases, hospitalizations, and patients in critical condition has made the medical work incredibly hard.—Jing Huang et al., Clinical Infectious Diseases
Jing Huang et al., Clinical Infectious DiseasesLove words? Need even more definitions?
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