critical mass

noun

: a size, number, or amount large enough to produce a particular result
the critical mass of activity needed for a retail store

Examples of critical mass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But Congress could complicate things for Trump, especially if a critical mass of Republican legislators began to oppose U.S. military action. Reid Smith, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2025 After years of protesting player comps or begrudgingly including them in my final column before the draft, the pressure to do them reached a critical mass. Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 18 June 2025 So today there’s a critical mass of ’70s and ’80s-era skateboarding devotees who still live nearby. Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025 As loyalty program saturation hits critical mass, brands must pivot from static points systems to experiential differentiation. Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for critical mass

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of critical mass was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Critical mass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20mass. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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