source: Nuclear Explosion GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

1. expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgments:

〈人などが〉 «…に対して» 批判的な, うるさい «of, about»

e.g. he was critical of many U.S. welfare programs.

2. expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of a work of literature, music, or art:

〖名詞の前で〗批評の, 評論の, 批評眼のある; 評論家による

e.g. she never won the critical acclaim she sought.

(of a published literary or musical text) incorporating a detailed and scholarly analysis and commentary:

本文校訂の

e.g. a critical edition of a Bach sonata.

involving the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement:

e.g. professors often find it difficult to encourage critical thinking in their students.

3. (of a situation or problem) having the potential to become disastrous; at a point of crisis:

〈状況などが〉危機的な

e.g. the flood waters had not receded, and the situation was still critical.

(of a person) extremely ill and at risk of death:

〈病人などが〉危険な, 危篤の

e.g. he had been in critical condition since undergoing surgery.

having a decisive or crucial importance in the success, failure, or existence of something:

〈物･事が〉 «…にとって» 重大な, 決定的な(crucial) «to»

e.g. temperature is a critical factor in successful fruit storage

e.g. getting banks lending again was critical to any recovery.

4. Mathematics & Physics relating to or denoting a point of transition from one state to another.

〘数･物理〙 臨界の

5. (of a nuclear reactor or fuel) maintaining a self-sustaining chain reaction:

e.g. the reactor is due to go critical in October.

criticality |ˌkridəˈkalədē| noun

critical (sense 3 ,sense 4)

criticalness noun

mid 16th century (in the sense ‘relating to the crisis of a disease’): from late Latin criticus (see critic).