The Clue
Life-and-death (8 letter answer)
The Answer
CRITICAL
Tags
Notes
The answer CRITICAL is rarely seen, appearing only about once every 2400 puzzles.
Related Clues
Faultfinding
Pressing
All-important
Kind of mass
Very choosy
Definition
CRITICAL as an adjective:
1. marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws; "a critical attitude"
2. at or of a point at which a property or phenomenon suffers an abrupt change especially having enough mass to sustain a chain reaction; "a critical temperature of water is 100 degrees C--its boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure"; "critical mass"; "go critical"
3. characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; "a critical reading"; "a critical dissertation"; "a critical analysis of Melville's writings"
4. (critical, vital) = urgently needed; absolutely necessary; "a critical element of the plan"; "critical medical supplies"; "vital for a healthy society"; "of vital interest"
5. (critical, decisive) = forming or having the nature of a turning point or crisis; "a critical point in the campaign"; "the critical test"
6. being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency; "a critical shortage of food"; "a critical illness"; "an illness at the critical stage"
7. of or involving or characteristic of critics or criticism; "critical acclaim"