unkritisch
uncritical
Accepting information, opinions, or situations without questioning or examining them.
EXAMPLE
Er übernahm die Ansichten seines Professors völlig unkritisch.
He adopted his professor's views completely uncritically.
unkritisch
uncritical / non-critical
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Meanings
unkritisch
non-critical
Being in a non-threatening or harmless condition. Often used in a medical context for a patient's condition.
EXAMPLE
Der Zustand des Verletzten ist nach der Operation stabil und unkritisch.
The injured person's condition is stable and non-critical after the operation.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of the prefix 'un-' and the adjective 'kritisch' (critical). The prefix 'un-' negates the base word and means 'not'. 'Unkritisch' is therefore the direct opposite of 'kritisch'.
EXAMPLE
Eine unkritische Haltung gegenüber den Medien kann gefährlich sein.
An uncritical attitude toward the media can be dangerous.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If 'unkritisch' refers to a person or their way of thinking, it means 'not questioning anything'. In a medical or technical context, it describes a condition that is 'not dangerous' or 'stable'.
EXAMPLE
Er liest Zeitungsartikel oft sehr unkritisch.
He often reads newspaper articles very uncritically.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'nicht hinterfragend' (not questioning), the word is often used with verbs of thinking and accepting. Typical combinations are 'etwas unkritisch übernehmen' (to adopt something uncritically), 'unkritisch konsumieren' (to consume uncritically), or to have an 'unkritische Haltung' (uncritical attitude).
EXAMPLE
Man sollte Informationen aus dem Internet nicht einfach unkritisch übernehmen.
One should not simply adopt information from the internet uncritically.
Medical context
In the meaning of 'ungefährlich' (not dangerous), the word is almost always used in connection with 'Zustand' (condition). The fixed phrase is often 'der Zustand ist unkritisch' (the condition is non-critical).
EXAMPLE
Der Arzt teilte uns mit, dass der Zustand des Patienten stabil und unkritisch sei.
The doctor informed us that the patient's condition was stable and non-critical.
Compare with
unkritisch vs unbedenklich
safe / harmless
Unbedenklich and unkritisch can both describe a medical condition that is not dangerous. Unbedenklich generally evaluates something as harmless, while unkritisch often describes the current medical urgency of a condition. Use unbedenklich for a harmless examination; for a patient's current situation, unkritisch is usually more appropriate.
unkritisch
Der Zustand des Patienten ist nach dem Unfall derzeit unkritisch.
The patient's condition is currently non-critical after the accident.
unbedenklich
Die kleine Hautreizung ist unbedenklich und heilt normalerweise von selbst ab.
The minor skin irritation is harmless and will normally heal on its own.
In real life
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