critically

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *krey-

Proto-Indo-European *-n-

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *krinyéti

Proto-Hellenic *kríňňō

Ancient Greek κρῑ́νω (krī́nō)

Ancient Greek κρῐ- (krĭ-)

Proto-Hellenic *-tās

Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs)

Ancient Greek κρῐτής (krĭtḗs)

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Hellenic *-kos

Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)

Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós)

Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós)bor.

Latin criticus

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālislbor.

Old French -albor.

▲

Latin -ālis

Old French -elbor.

▲

Latin -ālisbor.

Middle English -al

English -al

English critical

Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der.

Proto-Germanic *līkąder.

Proto-Germanic *-līkaz

Proto-Germanic *-ê

Proto-Germanic *-līkê

Proto-West Germanic *-līkē

Old English -līċe

Middle English -ly

English -ly

English critically

From critical + -ly.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/, /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk.li/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US, Canada, Australia) IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɪt.ɪ.kə.li/, /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk.li/, [ˈkɹɪɾ.ɪk.li]

  • Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):

    (file)

Adverb

critically (comparative more critically, superlative most critically)

1. In a critical manner; with, or in terms of, criticism.

   I looked critically at the frayed carpet of the hotel room.

   • 2008 November 24, Giles Fraser, “On the Genealogy of Morals, part 5: Breaking the cycle of conflict”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 October 2026:

     Girard critically examines Nietzsche's central contention that Christianity is a religion of sublimated vengeance or ressentiment and contents that although Nietzsche is half right about Christians he remains dangerously naive about violence itself.

2. In terms of critique, review, of or by critics.

   a critically applauded film

3. With close discernment; accurately; exactly.
   • 1685, John Dryden, transl., “Preface”, in Sylvæ: Or, The Second Part of Poetical Miscellanies, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC; reprinted Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, page 19:

     Thus difficult it is to underſtand the purity of Engliſh, and critically to diſcern not only good Writers from bad, and a proper ſtile from a corrupt, but alſo to diſtinguiſh that which is pure in a good Author, from that which is vicious and corrupt in him.

4. At a crisis or critical time; in a situation, place, or condition of decisive consequence.

   a fortification critically situated

   • a. 1716 (date written), [Gilbert] Burnet, edited by [Gilbert Burnet Jr.], Bishop Burnet’s History of His Own Time. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] Thomas Ward […], published 1724, →OCLC:

     Coming critically the night before the session.

5. Requiring immediate attention; likely to cause a collapse.

   critically ill

   critically injured

   critically endangered

Antonyms

• uncritically

Derived terms

• critically damped
• critically endangered
• noncritically
• postcritically
• subcritically

Translations

in a critical manner, with criticism

• Arabic: اِنْتِقَاد (intiqād)
• Armenian: քննադատաբար (hy) (kʻnnadatabar)
• Catalan: críticament (ca)
• Czech: kriticky (cs)
• Dutch: kritiek (nl)
• Italian: criticamente (it)
• Romanian: critic (ro), în mod critic
• Russian: крити́чно (ru) (kritíčno)
• Slovak: kriticky
• Spanish: críticamente (es)

in terms of critique, review

• Esperanto: kritike