intensive care
noun
1
: the continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
Many of the sickest patients need intensive care, even to the point of being connected to a mechanical respirator.—
Lawrence K. Altman
Lawrence K. Altman2
: a designated area in a hospital providing intensive care : intensive care unit
heart patients in intensive care
… short of breath and feverish, doctors isolated him in intensive care.—Elisabeth Rosenthal
—often hyphenated when used before another nounElisabeth Rosenthalan intensive-care nurse
Examples of intensive care in a Sentence
Her condition will require intensive care.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ellen Wiggs, 72, on May 3 A uniformed Independence police officer working off-duty at Centerpoint Medical Center responded to an assault on the sixth floor in the intensive care unit around 11:22 p.m.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2025
Reuters — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was recovering in an intensive care unit on Monday after a tricky 12-hour surgery due to recurring intestinal issues since he was stabbed while campaigning in 2018.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
The babies were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for almost three months.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
If the virus is detected early and the infected person receives medical attention in an intensive care unit, the ALA said, there is a chance the person will improve.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2025
Reuters — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was recovering in an intensive care unit on Monday after a tricky 12-hour surgery due to recurring intestinal issues since he was stabbed while campaigning in 2018.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
The babies were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for almost three months.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
If the virus is detected early and the infected person receives medical attention in an intensive care unit, the ALA said, there is a chance the person will improve.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
Cite this Entry
“Intensive care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intensive%20care. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
intensive care
1 of 2 noun1
: the continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
She required intensive care and survived without sequelae.—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: a designated area in a hospital providing intensive care : intensive care unit
heart patients in intensive care
a patient isolated in intensive care
He spent several days in intensive care before recovering from the overdose.—Jerome Groopman
Jerome Groopmanintensive care
2 of 2 adjective
variants
also intensive-care
: providing or concerned with continuous monitoring and treatment of critically ill or injured patients using special medical facilities, equipment, and services
intensive care medicine
an intensive-care nurse
also
: receiving medical care in an intensive care unit
intensive care patients
compare acute care, chronic care
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share