critical

adjective

ˈkri-ti-kəl How to pronounce critical (audio)
Definition of criticalnext
1
as in judgmental
given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things adults tend to be critical of teenagers' taste in music and movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urgent
needing immediate attention this problem isn't critical, so we can go home now and tend to it in the morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in crucial
of the greatest possible importance this is the critical exam that will largely determine your college career

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in essential
impossible to do without critical information for an informed medical diagnosis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Countless new Steelers played critical roles in the win. —Mike Defabo, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 Carter said the work of two ambulance units — providing Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support — has helped shave response times in the city by a minute, which can be critical in a life-threatening situation. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Sep. 2025 Based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book, the new series of Rogue Heroes comes at a critical stage of World War Two, continuing to dramatize the story of the world’s greatest Special Forces unit. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025 Legislators also delayed to next year decisions on bills that would require independent AI auditors to register with the state and mandate human oversight of AI used at places deemed critical infrastructure, like dams and wastewater systems. —Calmatters, Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for critical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for critical
  1. judgmental
  2. urgent
  3. crucial
  4. essential
  5. acute
  6. key
  7. necessary
  8. particular
Adjective
  • The film’s non-judgmental narration — read by Jacek Zubiel — comments on the characters’ innermost thoughts along the way, adding to the general patina of narcissism without pointing fingers or placing blame.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Anglers All is kind and non-judgmental to new anglers, sells tons of gear and literature, and has served me well on my quest to learn how to navigate Colorado waterways.
    — Beth Rankin, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2025
Definition of judgmental
Adjective
  • TeamSmile also launched a new pilot program to deliver essential dental care for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), highlighting the urgent need for accessible treatment for these kids.
    — Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
  • This means distinguishing between urgent and important tasks, eliminating unnecessary metrics and communications, clarifying policies, and setting clear expectations.
    — Kotter, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of urgent
Adjective
  • Guiding principles, both personal and professional, are just as crucial as having the right policy goals.
    — Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The Chinese artist will bring his expertise as a glonal artist to guide the contestants through this crucial semi-final stage.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of crucial
Adjective
  • These two energies seduced me to find womxn who, through their artistic work, were open to rebellious acts such as publishing art books on essential topics.
    — Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The Panthers are paying their offensive line a fortune, and Hubbard is here for the long haul, focusing on those two variables is essential.
    — DIAMOND VENCES, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of essential
Adjective
  • Some people with antiphospholipid syndrome—a condition associated with the formation of blood clots—can experience chorea (involuntary muscle movements) or acute changes in cognition (one of my patients was diagnosed after becoming markedly confused).
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The first stage, the acute phase, happens shortly after the infection, and the second stage, the chronic phase, occurs over a longer period of time.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of acute
Adjective
  • The concerns colored their respective candidacies to the point that key races were lost.
    — Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Future of Space Technologies Remote sensing, earth observation, digital biosphere twinning – space technologies are key here, too.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of key
Adjective
  • The first three have helped shape a new-look defence, which had been identified as a necessary area of improvement since last summer.
    — James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • From breezy wide-leg pants to tailored joggers, these fashion finds will keep you comfy and put-together from day to night and throughout your travels—no iron necessary.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of necessary
Adjective
  • In particular, the bacon bits were chilled and all stuck together in one big, congealed lump along the inside of the bowl.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Technology firms — and artificial intelligence companies such as Broadcom and Nvidia, in particular — led the rise.
    — Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of particular

Browse Nearby Words

critic
critical
critically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Critical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/critical. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on critical

Nglish: Translation of critical for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

A Guide to Using Semicolons

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Our Best Historical Slang Terms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
high school student holding a pencil leaning over a sat test
Challenging Standardized Test Words 20 questions to help you score 1600
See All