critically
Americanadverb
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in a judgmental or disapproving manner.
The backlash was immediate after he spoke critically of his opponent’s personal life.
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in a manner involving skillful analysis of merit, as of a decision or work of art or literature: critically admired novels.
a critically sanctioned project;
critically admired novels.
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to a devastating degree, leading to or reaching a crisis.
As floodwaters rise, we are critically lacking sandbags and evacuation transport.
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seriously or extremely, as of a gravely unstable medical condition: a critically ill pneumonia patient.
critically injured;
a critically ill pneumonia patient.
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with decisive or essential importance with respect to the outcome; crucially; indispensably.
The success of this experiment critically relies on optimal weather.
Other Word Forms
- noncritically adverb
Etymology
Origin of critically
First recorded in 1645–55; critical ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You’ll find everything from red pandas to critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemurs.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
Your father made sure you earned your allowance, and you got your first sense of what it was like to contribute to the household and — critically — be a stakeholder.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
On balance, I think it’s critically important that inside information is addressed thoroughly and comprehensively to support confidence rather than undermine it.
From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026
Most critically, it had to turbocharge its fundraising.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Maybe it was the new dress that made me look more critically at myself than usual: 45 years old, unmarried, waistline long since vanished.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
