subcritical
adjective
sub·crit·i·cal
ˌsəb-ˈkri-ti-kəl 
1
: less or lower than critical in respect to a specified factor
2
a
: of insufficient size to sustain a chain reaction
a subcritical mass of fissionable material
b
: designed for use with fissionable material of subcritical mass
a subcritical reactor
Examples of subcritical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The idea of producing a nuclear explosion by bringing together two subcritical masses of uranium had already been proposed outside the USSR.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
One positive is that the process would be subcritical.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
The gun-type bomb — the most basic nuclear weapon — entails using conventional explosives to fire a subcritical piece of fissionable material into another piece to then trigger the explosive nuclear reaction.
—Brendan Rascius
july 8, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Whether a cocktail made from pineapples clarified through soy milk or a mezcal blend infused with essential oils extracted via subcritical CO2, Tubert’s technique incites intrigue in sampling his next invention.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Evaluation of the biological activity and chemical profile of supercritical and subcritical extracts of Bursera graveolens from northern Peru
Health.com.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024
Their rocky depths could be used to bottle up blasts from small atom bombs or large subcritical tests.
—William J. Broad, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
The original uranium and graphite used by Dr. Enrico Fermi and his associates in the world's first nuclear reactor have been used in this exponential assembly or subcritical reactor constructed at Argonne National Laboratory, circa 1956.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2023
Fortunately, the installation was in a subcritical state at the time, which greatly decreased the risk of radiation escaping.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Mar. 2022
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Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
One positive is that the process would be subcritical.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
The gun-type bomb — the most basic nuclear weapon — entails using conventional explosives to fire a subcritical piece of fissionable material into another piece to then trigger the explosive nuclear reaction.
—Brendan Rascius
july 8, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Whether a cocktail made from pineapples clarified through soy milk or a mezcal blend infused with essential oils extracted via subcritical CO2, Tubert’s technique incites intrigue in sampling his next invention.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Evaluation of the biological activity and chemical profile of supercritical and subcritical extracts of Bursera graveolens from northern Peru
Health.com.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024
Their rocky depths could be used to bottle up blasts from small atom bombs or large subcritical tests.
—William J. Broad, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
The original uranium and graphite used by Dr. Enrico Fermi and his associates in the world's first nuclear reactor have been used in this exponential assembly or subcritical reactor constructed at Argonne National Laboratory, circa 1956.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2023
Fortunately, the installation was in a subcritical state at the time, which greatly decreased the risk of radiation escaping.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Subcritical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subcritical. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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