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

Fellow rider Donald Blue ended up in the intensive care unit with a broken shoulder, multiple fractured ribs and a punctured lung. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2025

However, by the end of the year, Nicklaus doctors will treat all children at Broward Health’s flagship Fort Lauderdale hospital, follow up in nearby medical offices, and treat newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2025

My career has taken me through the intensive care unit, the emergency department, flight nursing, hospital leadership, research, advocacy and as a leader at many levels of the Emergency Nurses Association. —Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025

Loading your audio article Why would a hospital with a licensed neonatal intensive care unit allegedly turn away an expectant mother in pain and just six months into her pregnancy? —Paul Sisson, Mercury News, 5 May 2025

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