criticamente

Críticamente is the adverb derived from the adjective crítico by the suffix -mente. In Portuguese, it denotes doing something in a critical or analytical manner, emphasizing evaluation, scrutiny, or formed judgment rather than plain approval or rejection. Its use is common in academic, journalistic, and critical contexts, where authors explicitly signal that a statement or source is being examined with rigor.

Etymology and sense: the word comes from crítico, which itself traces to Latin criticus and Greek kritikos. As an adverb, críticamente typically modifies verbs such as avaliar, analisar, interpretar, discutir, or revisa, guiding the reader to understand that the action is performed with careful analysis.

Usage notes: Criticamente can appear after the verb it modifies or after the clause it qualifications, e.g., "Ela avaliou criticamente as fontes" or "O artigo é criticamente analisado pela comissão." It can also qualify a broader claim, as in "um estudo criticamente desenvolvido." In medical language, expressions like "em estado crítico" are standard for describing severity, and there the adverb críticamente is less appropriate.

Related terms: crítico (adjective), crítica (noun), criticismo (a related noun form in some contexts). In formal writing, crítico + mente yields críticamente; in informal contexts or environments with limited diacritics, you may encounter non-accented forms, though the normative spelling includes the acute on í.

Examples:

- Ela avaliou criticamente as fontes antes de citá-las.

- O artigo oferece uma leitura criticamente analítica do tema.

- O estudo foi criticamente revisado pela comissão.