All 4 Uses

critical
in
Kindred, by Octavia Butler
(Edited)

So Margaret supervised—ordered people to do work they were already doing, criticized their slowness and laziness even when they were quick and industrious, and in general, made trouble.
p. 93.9 *

criticized = gave an unfavorable opinion of

standard suffix: The suffix "-ize" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.
He pushed me close to a whale-oil lamp, and there, in the bright yellow light, he stared at me silently, critically until I looked toward the door.
p. 130.3 *

critically = with thoughtful examination
Carrie stopped me on the stairs, looked at me critically, then took my arm and led me back down and out to her cabin.
p. 222.9
And no answer I could give could help sounding like criticism of her.
p. 228.6

criticism = unfavorable opinion

Definitions:

(1) (critical as in: a critical problem)
important, serious, or dangerous
(2) (critical as in: don't be so critical)
finding fault and telling others; or tending to have unfavorable opinions
(3) (critical as in: critical acclaim)
relating to careful analysis or thoughtful judgement of what is good and bad about something -- possibly from people whose job is to share their expert opinions in a given industry
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
See a comprehensive dictionary for more specialized senses of critical including those in mathematics and nuclear energy.