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Imperative vs Critical - What's the difference?

imperative | critical |

As adjectives the difference between imperative and critical

is that imperative is essential while critical is inclined to find fault or criticize; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting.

As nouns the difference between imperative and critical

is that imperative is the grammatical mood expressing an order (see jussive). In English, the imperative form of a verb is the same as that of the bare infinitive while critical is a critical value, factor, etc.

imperative

English

Alternative forms

*

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • essential
  • It is imperative that you come here right now.
  • (computing theory) Having a semantics that incorporates mutable variables.
  • (grammar) of, or relating to the imperative mood
  • Expressing a command; authoritatively or absolutely directive.
  • imperative orders
  • * Bishop Hall
  • The suits of kings are imperative .

    Noun

  • (uncountable, grammar) The grammatical mood expressing an order (see jussive). In English, the imperative form of a verb is the same as that of the bare infinitive.
  • The verbs in sentences like "Do it!" and "Say what you like!" are in the imperative .
  • (countable, grammar) A verb in imperative mood.
  • (countable) An essential action, a must: something which is imperative.
  • Visiting Berlin is an imperative .
  • *
  • Synonyms

    * (grammatical mood) imperative mood

    Derived terms

    * first imperative (Latin grammar) * second imperative (Latin grammar) * categorical imperative

    Coordinate terms

    * (in grammar) assertoric, interrogative

    critical

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Inclined to find fault or criticize; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting.
  • :
  • Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis or turning point.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Such a scandal as the prosecution of a brother for forgery—with a verdict of guilty—is a most truly horrible, deplorable, fatal thing. It takes the respectability out of a family perhaps at a critical moment, when the family is just assuming the robes of respectability:it is a black spot which all the soaps ever advertised could never wash off.
  • Extremely important.
  • :
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author= Katie L. Burke
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= In the News , passage=Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis:
  • Relating to criticism or careful analysis, such as literary or film criticism.
  • :
  • (lb) 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.
  • :
  • Likely to go out of control if disturbed, that is, opposite of stable.
  • :
  • Of the point (in temperature, reagent concentration etc.) where a nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.
  • :
  • Derived terms

    {{der3, criticality , critically , criticalness , critical angle , critical mass , critical point , critical thinking , mission-critical , pseudocritical , supercritical}}

    See also

    * (wikipedia "critical") * (Medical state)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A critical value, factor, etc.
  • * 1976 , American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Journal of engineering for industry (volume 98, page 508)
  • The second undamped system criticals show a greater percentage depression than the first.
  • * 2008 , John J. Coyle, C. John Langley, Brian Gibson, Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective (page 564)
  • Finally, criticals are high-risk, high-value items that give the final product a competitive advantage in the marketplace Criticals, in part, determine the customer's ultimate cost of using the finished product — in our example, the computer.