Definition of cretica
1. critical [ a ] marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
Examples:
"a critical attitude"
(Howard Nemerov, "Themes and Methods: The Early...)
the crude sketch of Piepsam contains , in its critical , destructive and self-destructive tendencies , much that is enlarged and illuminated in the figures of , for_instance , Naphta and Leverku^hn .
(Christopher Davis, First Family....)
Mr._McKinley examined everything with critical care , seeking something material to blame for his son 's illness .
(Guy Bolton, The Olympians....)
Mary 's super critical attitude toward Byron had nothing to_do_with his moral disrepute .
Synonyms critical Related Terms uncritical scathing caviling hypercritical deprecative censorious captious sarcastic unfavorable2. critical [ a ] characterized by careful evaluation and judgment
Examples:
"a critical reading"
"a critical dissertation"
"a critical analysis of Melville's writings
(Tristram P. Coffin, "Folklore in the American Twentieth...)
The commercial propagandist , who can n't afford to be critical , gets_along well with the amateur , from whom he feeds , but he frequently steps on the analyst 's toes by refusing to keep his material genuine .
Synonyms critical Related Terms uncritical appraising discriminative scholarly discerning3. critical [ a ] (chemistry and physics) at or of a point at which a property or phenomenon suffers an abrupt change especially having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction
Examples:
"a critical temperature"
"critical mass"
"go critical"
(James A. Ibers et al., "Proton magnetic resonance...)
Moreover , it will be asymmetric until a certain critical **f distance is reached , below which it will become symmetric .
(Jay C. Harris and John R. Van Wazer, "Detergent...)
Physicochemical investigations of anionic surfactants , including the soaps , have shown that there is little polymerization or agglomeration of the chain anions below a certain region of concentration called the critical micelle concentration .
( 1 ) Below the critical micelle concentration , monomers and some dimers are present .
( 2 ) In the critical micelle region , there is a rapid agglomeration or polymerization to give the micelles , which have a degree of polymerization averaging around 60 - 80 .
(E. Gellhorn, "Prolegomena to a theory of the emotions"...)
Furthermore , conditioned_reactions are fundamentally altered when the hypothalamic sympathetic reactivity is augmented beyond a critical level , and several types of behavioral changes probably related_to the degree of central autonomic `` tuning '' are observed .
Synonyms critical Related Terms noncritical physics chemistry supercritical criticality4. critical [ a ] urgently needed; absolutely necessary
Examples:
"a critical element of the plan"
"critical medical supplies"
"vital for a healthy society"
"of vital interest"
(LeRoy Fothergill, "Biological Warfare", in Peter...)
In considering BW defense , it must be recognized that a number of critical meteorological parameters must be met for an aerosol to exhibit optimum effect .
All_of these considerations are of critical importance in considering defense and medical management .
Synonyms vital critical Related Terms indispensable5. critical [ a ] forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis
Examples:
"a critical point in the campaign"
"the critical test"
(Richard I. McCosh, "Recreation Site Selection"...)
The quantity of water flow may be critical ; a stream or pond which is attractive in the springtime may become stagnant or dry in late summer .
(Howard Nemerov, "Themes and Methods: The Early...)
When I try to work_out my reasons for feeling that this passage is of critical significance , I come_up with the following ideas , which I shall express very briefly here and revert to in a later essay .
Synonyms critical decisive Related Terms crucial6. critical [ a ] being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency
Examples:
"a critical shortage of food"
"a critical illness"
"an illness at the critical stage"
(Public Papers of the Presidents of the U.S. D. D....)
This project was started at a time when there was a critical need for a high energy fuel to provide an extra margin of range for high performance aircraft , particularly our heavy bombers .
Synonyms critical Related Terms noncritical dangerous dangerous acute desperate crucial crisis7. critical [ a ] of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism
Examples:
"critical acclaim"
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