Critical Thinking Concepts And Tools Book

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  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2019-09-20 This bestselling volume in the Thinker’s Guide Library empowers readers with critical thinking tools based on the groundbreaking work of Richard Paul and Linda Elder. The new edition provides students, educators, and professionals with an authoritative problem-solving framework essential for every aspect of life.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2011
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Thinker's Guide to Clinical Reasoning David Hawkins, Linda Elder, Richard Paul, 2019-06 This volume of the Thinker’s Guide Library introduces healthcare students and professionals to the foundations of critical thinking and offers examples of applications within clinical fields. It is an essential companion for all healthcare courses as it advances critical thinking within all specialties with the clinical professions.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Thinker's Guide to Engineering Reasoning Richard Paul, Robert Niewoehner, Linda Elder, 2006 Contains the essence of engineering reasoning concepts and tools. For faculty it provides a shared concept and vocabulary. For students it is a thinking supplement to any textbook for any engineering course.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools Richard Paul, 2023
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2006 [This text] approaches critical thinking as a process for taking charge of and responsibility for one's thinking ... this text offers students the intellectual tools they need for lifelong learning and rational, conscientious living.-Back cover.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2020-03-15 Critical Thinking, 2nd Edition is about becoming a better thinker in every aspect of your life—as a professional, as a consumer, citizen, friend, or parent. Richard Paul and Linda Elder identify the core skills of effective thinking, then help you analyze your own thought processes so you can systematically identify and overcome your weaknesses.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2014 This popular pocket-size guide empowers readers with critical thinking tools based on the groundbreaking work of Richard Paul and Linda Elder. This bestselling volume in the Thinker's Guide Library provides students, educators, and professionals with an authoritative problem-solving framework essential for every aspect of life.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2003
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Thinker's Guide to Scientific Thinking Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2019-06 This volume of the Thinker’s Guide Library employs critical thinking concepts in the development of productive scientific thought. Readers will learn to reason within the logic of their scientific disciplines and will find their analytical abilities enhanced by the engaging framework of inquiry set forth by Richard Paul and Linda Elder.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Linda Elder, Richard Paul, 2020-03-15 Now available from Rowman & Littlefield, Paul and Elder's concise introductory text focuses on the most basic critical thinking concepts and includes activities to apply these concepts within disciplines and to life
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Thinker's Guide to Ethical Reasoning Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2019-06 This volume of the Thinker’s Guide Library offers a framework for ethical reasoning, illuminating powerful, universal tools for thinking through ethical questions. Linda Elder and Richard Paul discuss the main impediments to ethics and present ethical concepts and principles as guides for people of different backgrounds to find common ground.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Thinker's Guide to the Art of Socratic Questioning Richard Paul, Linda Elder, 2006 The Thinker's Guide to the Art of Socratic Questioning introduces readers to powerful methods of inquiry that pinpoint underlying beliefs and systems of logic. Bringing together the principles of critical thinking, Richard Paul and Linda Elder illuminate the practicality and accessibility of Socratic questioning for revealing and solving problems in thought. Teachers, students and professionals will find in this book essential questioning strategies for reasoning within any field of study or endeavor. As part of the Thinker's Guide Library, this book advances the mission of the Foundation for Critical Thinking to promote fairminded critical societies through cultivating essential intellectual abilities and virtues across every field of study across world.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Tracy Bowell, Gary Kemp, 2002 A much-needed guide to thinking critically for oneself and how to tell a good argument from a bad one. Includes topical examples from politics, sport, medicine, music, chapter summaries, glossary and exercises.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Peter M. Nardi, 2017-08-22 Critical Thinking: A Methodology for Interpreting Information 'deconstructs' common errors in thinking and teaches students to become smarter consumers of research results. Written to complement a textbook or a collection of readings, this brief methods book strengthens students' ability to interpret information whenever and wherever data are used. It includes a wide range of examples along with end of chapter exercises for further discussion. This book will be a coursebook for the undergraduate social science courses where critical thinking, numeracy, and data literacy are common learning objectives--Provided by publisher.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Critical Thinking Book Gary James Jason, 2022-01-05 The Critical Thinking Book covers not only standard topics such as definitions, fallacies, and argument identification, but also other pertinent themes such as consumer choice in a market economy and political choice in a representative democracy. Interesting historical asides are included throughout, as are images, diagrams, and reflective questions. A wealth of exercises is provided, both within the text and on a supplemental website for instructors.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking for Children Fairminded Fran, Linda Elder, 2005
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Thinker's Guide to Fallacies Linda Elder, Richard Paul, 2019-06 This volume of the Thinker’s Guide Library introduces the concept of fallacies and shows readers how to discern and see through forty-four types. Focusing on how human self-deception, mental trickery, and manipulation lie behind fallacies, this guide builds reasoning skills and promotes fairminded, logical thought, discussions, and debate.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Critical Thinking Toolkit Galen A. Foresman, Peter S. Fosl, Jamie C. Watson, 2016-06-02 The Critical Thinking Toolkit is a comprehensive compendium that equips readers with the essential knowledge and methods for clear, analytical, logical thinking and critique in a range of scholarly contexts and everyday situations. Takes an expansive approach to critical thinking by exploring concepts from other disciplines, including evidence and justification from philosophy, cognitive biases and errors from psychology, race and gender from sociology and political science, and tropes and symbols from rhetoric Follows the proven format of The Philosopher’s Toolkit and The Ethics Toolkit with concise, easily digestible entries, “see also” recommendations that connect topics, and recommended reading lists Allows readers to apply new critical thinking and reasoning skills with exercises and real life examples at the end of each chapter Written in an accessible way, it leads readers through terrain too often cluttered with jargon Ideal for beginning to advanced students, as well as general readers, looking for a sophisticated yet accessible introduction to critical thinking
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: A Miniature Guide for Students and Faculty to Scientific Thinking Richard Paul, Linda Elder, Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2006 This miniature guide consists of the essence of scientific thinking concepts and tools. It can be used as a supplement to any science textbook, for any science class. The essence of scientific thinking concepts and tools. It focuses on the intellectual skills inherent in the well cultivated scientific thinker.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking David A. Hunter, 2013-07-09 A practical introduction to critical thinking across various disciplines Knowing how to think critically about what to believe and what to do is essential for success in both academic and professional environments. A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking introduces readers to the concepts, methods, and standards for thinking critically about reasons and arguments in virtually any area of practice. While most literature on critical thinking focuses on its formal applications within philosophy, this book offers a broad conception of critical thinking and explores its practical relevance to conducting research across a wide variety of disciplines, including business, education, and the biological sciences. While the book pursues an interdisciplinary approach to critical thinking, providing examples and illustrations from diverse subjects and fields of research, it also provides strategies to help readers identify the methods and standards that are characteristic of critical thinking in their chosen branches of learning, in their workplace, and in their own lives. The concept of an argument is extended beyond its philosophical roots to include experimentation, testing, measurement, policy development and assessment, and aesthetic appreciation as activities that require critical thinking. The logical, core concepts of critical thinking are presented in a rigorous yet informal way, with creative and practical strategies for defining, analyzing, and evaluating reasons and arguments wherever they are found. Each chapter ends with a Mistakes to Avoid section as well as a variety of exercises designed to help readers integrate and extend the chapter's lessons. A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking is an excellent book for courses on critical thinking and logic at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an appropriate reference for anyone with a general interest in critical thinking skills.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Practical Critical Thinking Catherine Connors-Nelson, 2014-10-01
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Think Smarter Michael Kallet, 2014-03-18 Train your brain for better decisions, problem solving, and innovation Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills is the comprehensive guide to training your brain to do more for you. Written by a critical thinking trainer and coach, the book presents a pragmatic set of tools to apply critical thinking techniques to everyday business issues. Think Smarter is filled with real world examples that demonstrate how the tools work in action, in addition to dozens of practice exercises applicable across industries and functions, Think Smarter is a versatile resource for individuals, managers, students, and corporate training programs. Thinking is the foundation of everything you do, but we rely largely on automatic thinking to process information, often resulting in misunderstandings and errors. Shifting over to critical thinking means thinking purposefully using a framework and toolset, enabling thought processes that lead to better decisions, faster problem solving, and creative innovation. Think Smarter provides clear, actionable steps toward improving your critical thinking skills, plus exercises that clarify complex concepts by putting theory into practice. Features include: A comprehensive critical thinking framework Over twenty-five tools to help you think more critically Critical thinking implementation for functions and activities Examples of the real-world use of each tool Learn what questions to ask, how to uncover the real problem to solve, and mistakes to avoid. Recognize assumptions your can rely on versus those without merit, and train your brain to tick through your mental toolbox to arrive at more innovative solutions. Critical thinking is the top skill on the wish list in the business world, and sharpening your ability can have profound affects throughout all facets of life. Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills provides a roadmap to more effective and productive thought.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Handbook of Research on Tools for Teaching Computational Thinking in P-12 Education Kalogiannakis, Michail, Papadakis, Stamatios, 2020-06-26 While the growth of computational thinking has brought new awareness to the importance of computing education, it has also created new challenges. Many educational initiatives focus solely on the programming aspects, such as variables, loops, conditionals, parallelism, operators, and data handling, divorcing computing from real-world contexts and applications. This decontextualization threatens to make learners believe that they do not need to learn computing, as they cannot envision a future in which they will need to use it, just as many see math and physics education as unnecessary. The Handbook of Research on Tools for Teaching Computational Thinking in P-12 Education is a cutting-edge research publication that examines the implementation of computational thinking into school curriculum in order to develop creative problem-solving skills and to build a computational identity which will allow for future STEM growth. Moreover, the book advocates for a new approach to computing education that argues that while learning about computing, young people should also have opportunities to create with computing, which will have a direct impact on their lives and their communities. Featuring a wide range of topics such as assessment, digital teaching, and educational robotics, this book is ideal for academicians, instructional designers, teachers, education professionals, administrators, researchers, and students.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Richard Paul, 1993
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Systems Concepts in Action Bob Williams, Richard Hummelbrunner, 2010-10-25 Systems Concepts in Action: A Practitioner's Toolkit offers out a wide range of systems methods to help readers investigate, evaluate and intervene in complex messy situations.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: 30 Days to Better Thinking and Better Living Through Critical Thinking Linda Elder, Richard Paul, 2012-09-21 Better critical thinking can transform your life and help you improve every decision you make! Now, in just 30 days, master specific, easy-to-learn critical thinking techniques that help you cut through lies, gain insight, and make smarter choices in every area of your life -- from work and money to intimate relationships. World-renowned critical thinking experts Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul show how to overcome poor thinking habits caused by self-delusion or out-of-control emotions... clarify what you really want... recognize what you don’t know… ask better questions... resist brainwashing, manipulation, and hypocrisy... critically evaluate what you’re told by advertisers, politicians, your boss, and even your family… avoid worrying, conformism, and blame. Every day, you'll focus on a specific thinking habit, mastering practical strategies for achieving results, tracking your progress, gaining confidence, and getting smarter! Expanded, improved, and easier to use, Discover the Power of Critical Thinking, Revised and Expanded edition offers today's most complete, practical plan for using critical thinking to build a better life. This edition adds five new days of critical thinking workouts, delivering even more powerful life improvement ideas. Brand-new illustrations and diagrams help you see the direct relevance of critical thinking in your own life, and you'll find a practical new introduction to the authors' Paul-Elder Framework for Critical Thinking, which is now being used by critical thinkers worldwide!
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Teacher’s Guide to Media Literacy Cyndy Scheibe, Faith Rogow, 2011-11-07 Use media literacy to reach all students! The Teacher′s Guide to Media Literacy starts by asking, What does it mean to be literate in today′s world, and how can those literacy skills be developed? The authors answer those questions by providing concrete, innovative ways to integrate media literacy across the curriculum and teach students to be independent, skilled, and reflective thinkers. Through dozens of suggested activities, teaching strategies, and lessons, this book′s unique vision allows schools to Integrate media literacy into teaching at all grade levels and core content areas Address key education standards Teach 21st-century skills and higher-order critical thinking Engage students by bridging schoolwork with their lives outside the classroom In addition to dozens of activity ideas, the text and companion website include self-reflection exercises, voices from the field, a glossary of terms, and seven annotated, original, classroom-tested lesson plans that illustrate different approaches to media literacy in the classroom. In a time of hectic schedules and ever increasing expectations, the authors help teachers reframe their instruction to focus on the skills students need to succeed in the digital age.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking for Business Students Linda Dyer, 2006
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Thinking Through Project-Based Learning Jane Krauss, Suzie Boss, 2013-03-05 Everything you need to know to lead effective and engaging project-based learning! This timely and practical book shows how to implement academically-rich classroom projects that teach the all-important skill of inquiry. Teachers will find: A research-driven case for project-based learning, supported by current findings on brain development and connections with Common Core standards Numerous sample projects for every K-12 grade level Strategies for integrating project-based learning within all main subject areas, across disciplines, and with current technology and social media Ideas for involving the community through student field research, special guests, and showcasing student work
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Thinker's Guide to Analytic Thinking Linda Elder, Richard Paul, 2016 As part of the Thinker's Guide Library, this book explores how to analyze questions, problems, and opportunities through the elements of reasoning. It provides students, educators and professionals a framework for deconstructing and assessing any issue to find the most practical solution, in order to achieve the best consequences.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts Farnam Street, 2019-12-16 The old saying goes, ''To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.'' But anyone who has done any kind of project knows a hammer often isn't enough. The more tools you have at your disposal, the more likely you'll use the right tool for the job - and get it done right. The same is true when it comes to your thinking. The quality of your outcomes depends on the mental models in your head. And most people are going through life with little more than a hammer. Until now. The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts is the first book in The Great Mental Models series designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand. This volume details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, productivity, and how clearly you see the world. You will discover what forces govern the universe and how to focus your efforts so you can harness them to your advantage, rather than fight with them or worse yet- ignore them. Upgrade your mental toolbox and get the first volume today. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Farnam Street (FS) is one of the world's fastest growing websites, dedicated to helping our readers master the best of what other people have already figured out. We curate, examine and explore the timeless ideas and mental models that history's brightest minds have used to live lives of purpose. Our readers include students, teachers, CEOs, coaches, athletes, artists, leaders, followers, politicians and more. They're not defined by gender, age, income, or politics but rather by a shared passion for avoiding problems, making better decisions, and lifelong learning. AUTHOR HOME Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical and Creative Thinking Robert DiYanni, 2015-06-23 Critical and Creative Thinking: A Guide for Teachers reveals ways to develop a capacity to think both critically and creatively in practical and productive ways. Explains why critical and creative thinking complement each other with clear examples Provides a practical toolkit of cognitive techniques for generating and evaluating ideas using both creative and critical thinking Enriches the discussion of creative and critical intersections with brief “inter-chapters” based on the thinking habits of Leonardo da Vinci Offers an overview of current trends in critical and creative thinking, with applications across a spectrum of disciplines
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Raising Critical Thinkers Julie Bogart, 2022-02-01 A guide for parents to help children of all ages process the onslaught of unfiltered information in the digital age. Education is not solely about acquiring information and skills across subject areas, but also about understanding how and why we believe what we do. At a time when online media has created a virtual firehose of information and opinions, parents and teachers worry how students will interpret what they read and see. Amid the noise, it has become increasingly important to examine different perspectives with both curiosity and discernment. But how do parents teach these skills to their children? Drawing on more than twenty years’ experience homeschooling and developing curricula, Julie Bogart offers practical tools to help children at every stage of development to grow in their ability to explore the world around them, examine how their loyalties and biases affect their beliefs, and generate fresh insight rather than simply recycling what they’ve been taught. Full of accessible stories and activities for children of all ages, Raising Critical Thinkers helps parents to nurture passionate learners with thoughtful minds and empathetic hearts.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Online and Distance Learning: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications Tomei, Lawrence A., 2007-07-31 This comprehensive, six-volume collection addresses all aspects of online and distance learning, including information communication technologies applied to education, virtual classrooms, pedagogical systems, Web-based learning, library information systems, virtual universities, and more. It enables libraries to provide a foundational reference to meet the information needs of researchers, educators, practitioners, administrators, and other stakeholders in online and distance learning--Provided by publisher.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: The Big Six Peter C. Seixas, Tom Morton, Jill Colyer, Stefano Fornazzari, 2013 Each chapter begins by featuring where a prominent Canadian author has engaged one of the six concepts while writing a work of popular history or historical fiction.--pub. desc.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools Linda Elder, 2009
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: Models for Critical Thinking Rutherford Albert, 2019-08-17 Stay alert and avoid being tricked. Apply logic and analysis to your everyday life. Detect hidden assumptions, spot inconsistencies, and recognize dishonesty. The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our thinking. And the quality of our thinking is often determined by the quality questions we ask from ourselves.Critical thinking is the art of asking relevant, necessary, and meaningful questions to discover the objective truth behind words, events, and opinions in general. Today we have more access to information than ever before. Information influences our world view and decisions often without us noticing it. Following wrong idols can lead us to bad decisions which lead to unhappiness and a dissatisfying life. When what's right, beautiful, successful, and cool gets dictated around us we often forget to think for ourselves and make our own choices. Thus we make bad decisions based on the opinion of others - not even our own. Who should make your life choices for you? You've put your own thoughts, wishes, and opinions off for too long. It's time for that to change. Models for Critical Thinking provides you with unique insights into the nature of thinking and reasoning - why are we often so wrong, why we are so inclined to avoid the responsibility of thinking for ourselves, and how can we develop solid, objective patterns of thought. This book is a guide for the notoriously trusting, overwhelmed, and gullible. It is a deep psychological dive into what makes us stop thinking for ourselves, and how to systematically combat those compulsions. It's a book that stands apart from others because of the plethora of real-life examples, studies, and solutions. If you wish to add to your critical thinking toolkit, you'll find the step-by-step answer in here. Models for Critical Thinking lays out: - The function of critical thinking and its main obstacles. - The varied elements of critical reasoning. - Important abilities and traits of critical thinkers. - The vocabulary of critical analysis, - The models essential to critical thinking. The most secure way of making good decisions is to have well-practiced and predictable strategies that you can use when you are faced with a problem that requires deeper analysis. This book will provide you with helpful exercises and tips to help you can find better solutions to your problems. - Learn the essential critical thinking skills when reading, writing, and speaking; - Be on your guard for hidden cognitive traps when shopping and interacting with advertisers. - Discover the tools and strategies can help you become a more disciplined thinker, developing your analytical, reasoning, and reflective thinking skills. Be ready to learn. Be ready to argue intellectually. - Learn to read between the lines and assess the validity of statements. - Identify and separate logical and illogical reasoning. - Learn how to construct a fair, well-reasoned argument with the help of formal and informal logic. As a physicist and computer scientist, I was always looking for logical, well-founded answers to questions. Yet, I needed to stay open to question my knowledge fairly often, revise my beliefs held, and unlearn some.
  critical thinking concepts and tools book: 30 Days to Better Thinking and Better Living Through Critical Thinking Linda Elder, Richard Paul, 2013 Previously published under title: 25 days to better thinking & better living.
CRITICAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CRITICAL is inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably. How to use critical in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Critical.

CRITICAL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CRITICAL definition: 1. saying that someone or something is bad or wrong: 2. giving or relating to opinions or…. Learn more.

Critical Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
CRITICAL meaning: 1 : expressing criticism or disapproval; 2 : of or relating to the judgments of critics about books, movies, art, etc.

CRITICAL definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
To be critical of someone or something means to criticize them. ...a few dozen intellectuals who've been critical of the regime. He has apologised for critical remarks he made about the referee. …

critical - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jun 8, 2025 · The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom. 2018 , VOA Learning English > …

What does critical mean? - Definitions.net
Critical can be defined as a thorough and analytical evaluation or examination of something, particularly by making judgments or forming opinions based on careful assessment and …

1004 Synonyms & Antonyms for CRITICAL - Thesaurus.com
Find 1004 different ways to say CRITICAL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

Critical - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
The adjective critical has several meanings, among them, "vital," "verging on emergency," "tending to point out errors," and "careful."

Critical - definition of critical by ... - The Free Dictionary
Relating to or characterized by criticism; reflecting careful analysis and judgment: a critical appreciation of the filmmaker's work. b. Of, relating to, or characteristic of critics: a play that …

CRITICAL Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily. Parents who are too critical make their children anxious. involving criticism, or skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.. The article …

CRITICAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CRITICAL is inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably. How to use critical in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Critical.

CRITICAL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CRITICAL definition: 1. saying that someone or something is bad or wrong: 2. giving or relating to opinions or…. Learn more.

Critical Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
CRITICAL meaning: 1 : expressing criticism or disapproval; 2 : of or relating to the judgments of critics about books, movies, art, etc.

CRITICAL definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
To be critical of someone or something means to criticize them. ...a few dozen intellectuals who've been critical of the regime. He has apologised for critical remarks he made about the referee. A …

critical - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jun 8, 2025 · The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom. 2018 , VOA Learning English > …

What does critical mean? - Definitions.net
Critical can be defined as a thorough and analytical evaluation or examination of something, particularly by making judgments or forming opinions based on careful assessment and …

1004 Synonyms & Antonyms for CRITICAL - Thesaurus.com
Find 1004 different ways to say CRITICAL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

Critical - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
The adjective critical has several meanings, among them, "vital," "verging on emergency," "tending to point out errors," and "careful."

Critical - definition of critical by ... - The Free Dictionary
Relating to or characterized by criticism; reflecting careful analysis and judgment: a critical appreciation of the filmmaker's work. b. Of, relating to, or characteristic of critics: a play that …

CRITICAL Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily. Parents who are too critical make their children anxious. involving criticism, or skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.. The article …