criticality
noun
crit·i·cal·i·ty
ˌkri-tə-ˈka-lə-tē 
: a critical quality, state, or nature
The true criticality of that basic political rationale is being demonstrated in the 1990s.—
Colin S. Gray
Colin S. GrayBut the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, in a report released Tuesday, found that the list was not child's play: all these "unusual or out-of-place" sites "whose criticality is not readily apparent" are inexplicably included in the official federal antiterrorism database.—Eric Lipton
Eric Lipton
specifically, physics
: the state in which a mass of fissionable material sustains or is able to sustain a nuclear chain reaction
Criticality can be achieved by increasing mass (adding more plutonium) or … by compressing a barely subcritical mass to increase its density. —Daniel J. Lenihan
Daniel J. Lenihan How big is a critical mass? That depends on the proportion of fissile material and on its shape and configuration. Surrounding the mass with a neutron-reflecting substance further reduces the size needed for criticality, by returning neutrons that would otherwise escape. —Richard Wolfson
Richard Wolfson Examples of criticality in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The program aims to have at least three small test reactors built and hit criticality status.
—Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
The size of these canisters, with an inner diameter of just 220 millimeters, is designed to maintain sub-criticality.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
The power of the many Throughout a number of the sessions, panelists highlighted the criticality of engaging many more people.
—Kotter, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Sheila understood the importance of the work and the criticality of both maintaining quality and keeping up with demand.
—Nelson P. Repenning, Big Think, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for criticality
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Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
The size of these canisters, with an inner diameter of just 220 millimeters, is designed to maintain sub-criticality.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
The power of the many Throughout a number of the sessions, panelists highlighted the criticality of engaging many more people.
—Kotter, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Sheila understood the importance of the work and the criticality of both maintaining quality and keeping up with demand.
—Nelson P. Repenning, Big Think, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for criticality
Cite this Entry
“Criticality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criticality. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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