Critical vs. Crucial

Critical vs. Crucial — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Critical and Crucial

Criticaladjective

Inclined to find fault or criticize

A good teacher is fair but critical.

Crucialadjective

Essential or decisive for determining the outcome or future of something; extremely important.

The battle of Tali-Ihantala in 1944 is one of the crucial moments in the history of Finland.A secure supply of crude oil is crucial for any modern nation, let alone a superpower.

Criticaladjective

Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis or turning point.

This is a critical moment.

Crucialadjective

(archaic) Cruciform or cruciate; cross-shaped.

Criticaladjective

Extremely important.

It's critical that you deliver this on time.

Crucialadjective

Very good; excellent; particularly applied to reggae music.

Delbert Wilkins is the most crucial pirate radio DJ in Brixton.
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Criticaladjective

Relating to criticism or careful analysis, such as literary or film criticism.

The movie was a critical success, but bombed at the box-office.

Crucialadjective

of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis;

a crucial moment in his careera crucial electiona crucial issue for women

Criticaladjective

(medicine) Of a patient condition involving unstable vital signs and a prognosis that predicts the condition could worsen; or, a patient condition that requires urgent treatment in an intensive care or critical care medical facility.

The patient's condition is critical.

Crucialadjective

having crucial relevance;

crucial to the caserelevant testimony

Criticaladjective

Likely to go out of control if disturbed, that is, opposite of stable.

The political situation was so critical that the government declared the state of siege.

Crucialadjective

of the greatest importance;

the all-important subject of disarmamentcrucial informationin chess cool nerves are of the essence
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Criticaladjective

(physics) Of the point (in temperature, reagent concentration etc.) where a nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.

The reaction was about to become critical.

Crucialadjective

having the power or quality of deciding;

the crucial experimentcast the deciding votethe determinative (or determinant) battle

Criticaladjective

(physics) Of a temperature that is equal to the temperature of the critical point of a substance, i.e. the temperature above which the substance cannot be liquefied.

Criticalnoun

A critical value, factor, etc.

Criticalnoun

In breakdancing, a kind of airflare move in which the dancer hops from one hand to the other.

Criticaladjective

marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws;

a critical attitude

Criticaladjective

at or of a point at which a property or phenomenon suffers an abrupt change especially having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction;

a critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C--its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressurecritical massgo critical

Criticaladjective

characterized by careful evaluation and judgment;

a critical readinga critical dissertationa critical analysis of Melville's writings

Criticaladjective

urgently needed; absolutely necessary;

a critical element of the plancritical medical suppliesvital for a healthy societyof vital interest

Criticaladjective

forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis;

a critical point in the campaignthe critical test

Criticaladjective

being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency;

a critical shortage of fooda critical illnessan illness at the critical stage

Criticaladjective

of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism;

critical acclaim