critical

/'kritikəl/

Thân thiện

A scientist conducts a critical experiment in the laboratory.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Involving careful judgment and evaluation: Relating to the detailed analysis and assessment of something, often to identify both merits and faults.
   • Expressing adverse or disapproving comments: Marked by a tendency to find and point out flaws and errors.
   • Extremely important or essential: Of the greatest importance; vital or crucial.
   • Relating to a crisis or turning point: Being in or approaching a state of emergency, or forming a decisive juncture.
   • (Physics/Chemistry) Relating to a point of abrupt change: At a point where a property undergoes a sudden, significant change, such as sustaining a chain reaction.

Examples of Usage

• Involving judgment and evaluation:
  • The professor wrote a critical analysis of the novel's themes.
  • She has a critical eye for detail in design.
• Expressing disapproval:
  • He is often critical of government policies.
  • The review was overly critical of the actor's performance.
• Extremely important:
  • Your support is critical to the project's success.
  • This is a critical component of the engine.
• Relating to a crisis:
  • The patient remains in critical condition.
  • The country is facing a critical shortage of medicine.
• (Scientific context):
  • The reactor reached critical mass.
  • Water's critical temperature is 100°C at standard pressure.

Advanced Usage

• "Critical of": Expressing disapproval towards someone or something.
  • She was openly critical of the management's decision.
• "Critical to/for": Absolutely vital or necessary for something.
  • Trust is critical for a healthy relationship.
• "Go critical": (In nuclear physics) To reach the state where a nuclear chain reaction is self-sustaining.
  • The reactor is designed to go critical under controlled conditions.

Variants and Related Words

• Critic (n): A person who judges, evaluates, or analyzes literary or artistic works, or someone who finds fault.
• Criticism (n): The act of analyzing and judging merits and faults, or the expression of disapproval.
• Critically (adv): In a critical manner; to a crucial degree.
  • He was critically injured in the accident. (severely)
  • She examined the data critically. (with careful analysis)
• Critique (n/v): A detailed evaluation or assessment; to analyze and evaluate in detail.

Synonyms

• Analytical: Using logical reasoning.
• Crucial: Of great importance.
• Vital: Absolutely necessary.
• Fault-finding: Inclined to look for errors.
• Pivotal: Of crucial importance.

Antonyms

• Uncritical: Not expressing criticism or using careful judgment.
• Unimportant: Lacking in significance.
• Complimentary: Expressing praise or approval.
• Stable: Not in a state of crisis.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Critical acclaim: Widespread praise and approval from reviewers.
  • The film received critical acclaim at the festival.
• Critical mass: The minimum amount needed to start or sustain an activity or process.
  • The startup needed to reach a critical mass of users to be viable.
• At a critical juncture: At a very important or decisive point.
  • The negotiations are at a critical juncture.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism
   • critical acclaim
2. being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency
   • a critical shortage of food
   • a critical illness
   • an illness at the critical stage
3. forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis
   • a critical point in the campaign
   • the critical test
4. urgently needed; absolutely necessary
   • a critical element of the plan
   • critical medical supplies
   • vital for a healthy society
   • of vital interest
5. characterized by careful evaluation and judgment
   • a critical reading
   • a critical dissertation
   • a critical analysis of Melville's writings
6. at or of a point at which a property or phenomenon suffers an abrupt change especially having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction
   • a critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C--its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure
   • critical mass
   • go critical
7. marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
   • a critical attitude

Từ đồng nghĩa

• decisive
• vital