Kriitiline

Kriitiline is an Estonian adjective meaning related to criticism or evaluation, and in many contexts it also describes something urgent, crucial, or life-threatening. It is commonly used in education, science, medicine, and everyday language.

The word kriitiline is formed from the noun kriitika (criticism) with the adjectival suffix -iline. Its etymology mirrors related terms in many European languages, ultimately tracing back to Greek kritikos, meaning 'related to criticism' or 'able to judge.'

In use, kriitiline describes both evaluative and urgent senses. Examples include kriitiline mõtlemine (critical thinking), kriitiline hinnang (critical assessment), and kriitiline olukord (critical or life-threatening situation). In technical fields, the term appears in phrases such as kriitiline mass (critical mass) in physics, or kriitiline lõik (critical section) in computing and engineering, where it denotes a region that requires exclusive access.

Kriitiline can also convey the sense of importance or decisive significance, as in kriitiline hetk (crucial moment). The exact nuance depends on context, ranging from analytical evaluation to urgency or essential importance.

See also: kriitika, kriitiline mõtlemine, kriitiline mass, kriitiline olukord.