What does critical mean?
Word: Critical
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Critical means very important, especially at a moment when things could go well or badly. It can also mean finding fault with someone.
Synonyms: serious, crucial, vital
Antonyms: unimportant
How do you spell critical?
Syllables: crit - i - cal
Tricky part: Said quickly, the middle i almost vanishes, so students write critcal. Both hard c sounds are spelt c, never k.
Watch out for: critcal, critikal, kritical
Memory tip: Picture a film critic who must be at the front of every show: critic stands whole at the start of critical.
Critical in a sentence
Example 1: Water is critical for young plants in the hot summer months.
Example 2: The last over was the most critical part of the match.
Example 3: Try not to be too critical of your little brother's drawing.
Fun Fact
Critic and critical go back to a Greek word for someone able to judge; a critical moment is one where the result is decided.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
critical
a) minor
b) pressing
c) urgent
d) key
Show answer
a) minor. An urgent, pressing or key moment is one that matters a lot; a minor one hardly matters.
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
critic
a) el
b) ul
c) al
d) le
Show answer
c) al. Critic + al gives critical, just as music + al gives musical.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) importent
b) nesessary
c) emergensy
d) critical
Show answer
d) critical. Important, emergency and necessary each have a slip here; critical is spelt correctly.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
triiccla
a) critic
b) tactical
c) critical
d) clinical
Show answer
c) critical. The jumble has an r, so clinical and tactical are out, and critic would leave an a and an l unused.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In which situation is time most critical?
a) a class is strolling to the library
b) a family is driving slowly to a picnic
c) friends are choosing a film for the weekend
d) a train leaves in two minutes and you are still at the gate
Show answer
d) a train leaves in two minutes and you are still at the gate
2. Dad was critical of the messy room. What did he think of it?
a) he did not like how it looked
b) he was proud of how it looked
c) he did not notice it at all
d) he offered to help tidy it
Show answer
a) he did not like how it looked
