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
Ryder died two days later, and Hunter was in the neonatal intensive care unit for 109 days.
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Italian auteur Nanni Moretti suffered a heart attack on Wednesday and is reportedly in intensive care in stable condition, according to Italian news reports.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
Italian director Nanni Moretti was reported to be in intensive care in stable condition Wednesday evening after suffering a heart attack earlier in the day.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Aziz had a chest injury and underwent surgery for skull fractures; Ahmed, 16, is in intensive care.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intensive care
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Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Italian auteur Nanni Moretti suffered a heart attack on Wednesday and is reportedly in intensive care in stable condition, according to Italian news reports.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
Italian director Nanni Moretti was reported to be in intensive care in stable condition Wednesday evening after suffering a heart attack earlier in the day.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Aziz had a chest injury and underwent surgery for skull fractures; Ahmed, 16, is in intensive care.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 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 19 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
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