critical
Cross references:
1. acute
crit.i.cal \'krit-i-k*l\ \.krit-*-'kal-*t-e-\ \'krit-i-k(*-)le-\ \-k*l-n*s\
aj 1a: inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably 1b: consisting of or
involving criticism {~ writings} 1c: exercising or involving careful
judgment or judicious evaluation 1d: including variant readings and
scholarly emendations {a ~ edit ion} 2a: of, relating to, or being a
turning point or specially important junct ure {~ phase} 2b: relating to or
being a state in which or a measurement or point at whi ch some quality,
property, or phenomenon suffers a definite change {~ temperature} 2c:
CRUCIAL, DECISIVE {~ test} 2d: indispensable for the weathering, solution,
or overcoming of a crisis 3: of doubtful issue 4: of sufficient size to
sustain a chain reaction - used of a mass of fi ssionable materiaM,
CENSORIOUS: CRITICAL may imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly
in order to judge it fairly; often it implies harshness in judging;
HYPERCRITICAL suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict
standards; FAULTFINDING implies a querulous or exacting temperament;
CAPTIOUS suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections
on trivial grounds; CARPING implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of
flaws; CENSORIOUS implies a disposition to be severely critical and
condemnatory - crit.i.cal.i.ty n SYN syn HYPERCRITICAL, FAULTFINDING,
CAPTIOUS, CARPING)