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
The man is currently recovering and in stable condition at Kings County Hospital's intensive care unit, according to a GoFundMe page created to help him with his unforeseen medical expenses.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 5 June 2025
Daniel Lester, 30, died June 1 in the intensive care unit at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office website.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 June 2025
Fournier, a dentist who practices at an urban hospital in Louisiana, had to extract six of the teen’s teeth; he was eventually intubated and admitted to the intensive care unit because his airways had closed up.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 5 June 2025
Now, the chef is charged with another violent domestic assault that left a woman in the intensive care unit in need of emergency surgery.
—Shira Moolten, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 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.
Charna Flam, People.com, 5 June 2025
Daniel Lester, 30, died June 1 in the intensive care unit at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office website.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 June 2025
Fournier, a dentist who practices at an urban hospital in Louisiana, had to extract six of the teen’s teeth; he was eventually intubated and admitted to the intensive care unit because his airways had closed up.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 5 June 2025
Now, the chef is charged with another violent domestic assault that left a woman in the intensive care unit in need of emergency surgery.
—Shira Moolten, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 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 9 Jun. 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