01
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
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
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 gefährlich
dangerous
'gefährlich' and 'unkritisch' can be opposites when 'unkritisch' means that a condition is not threatening. 'gefährlich' describes a situation with real danger or possible harm. In this sense, 'unkritisch' is often used in health, technology, or situation reports: it means that there is no serious danger at the moment. Important: 'unkritisch' also has another meaning, namely without examination or without doubt. But in relation to 'gefährlich', it refers to the harmless condition.
unkritisch
Nach der Untersuchung ist der Zustand des Patienten unkritisch.
After the examination, the patient's condition is non-critical.
gefährlich
Die Ärztin erklärt, dass hohes Fieber für kleine Kinder gefährlich sein kann.
The doctor explains that a high fever can be dangerous for small children.
In real life
Loading video examples...