- (n.) Inclined to criticise or find fault; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting.
- (n.) Qualified to criticise or pass judgment upon, literary or artistic productions.
- (n.) Pertaining to criticism or the critic's art; of the nature of a criticism; accurate; as, critical knowledge; a critical dissertation.
- (n.) Pertaining to or indicating, a crisis, turning point or specially important juncture; important as regards consequences; hence, of doubtful issue; attended with risk; dangerous; as, the critical stage of a fever; a critical situation.
- (n.) Characterized by thoroughness and a reference to principles, as becomes a critic; as, a critical analysis of a subject.
- (n.) Inclined to make nice distinctions or to exercise careful judgment and selection; exact; nicely judicious.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). critical. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/critical/definitions/1993075 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "critical" http://smartdefine.org/critical/definitions/1993075 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, critical, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/critical/definitions/1993075>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "critical" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/critical/definitions/1993075> |