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
Lawrence K. Altman2
: 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 nounElisabeth Rosenthalan intensive-care nurse
Examples of intensive care in a Sentence
Her condition will require intensive care.
Recent Examples on the Web
The hospital currently has 19 beds for children who need to be hospitalized, but do not need intensive care, Chadwick said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign, Illinois, made it for Crocker, the Illini’s defensive coordinator, during Sienna’s six-week stay there.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Lane remains in the intensive care unit at the hospital.
—Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Severe cases require intensive care in a hospital.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
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Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign, Illinois, made it for Crocker, the Illini’s defensive coordinator, during Sienna’s six-week stay there.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Lane remains in the intensive care unit at the hospital.
—Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Severe cases require intensive care in a hospital.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
Cite this Entry
“Intensive care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intensive%20care. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
intensive care
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: 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
Jerome Groopmanintensive 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
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