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
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexis Rodriguez, 44, said his wife and three children, ages 4, 8 and 18, are intubated at the hospital in critical condition.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 May 2026
One patient — a British national — is currently hospitalized in critical condition in Johannesburg, South Africa, where laboratory tests have confirmed hantavirus infection.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
The virus is suspected to have killed three passengers and sickened four more, with one patient hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 4 May 2026
Of those, seven people were admitted to the hospitals and, as of May 4, three people were in critical condition and four people were in serious condition, Cannedy said.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for critical condition
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.
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 May 2026
One patient — a British national — is currently hospitalized in critical condition in Johannesburg, South Africa, where laboratory tests have confirmed hantavirus infection.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
The virus is suspected to have killed three passengers and sickened four more, with one patient hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 4 May 2026
Of those, seven people were admitted to the hospitals and, as of May 4, three people were in critical condition and four people were in serious condition, Cannedy said.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 May 2026
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 6 May. 2026.
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?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
