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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Stars form when large clumps of gas and dust reach a critical mass and collapse under their own gravity. Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 23 May 2025 Early Warnings Should Have Been Acted On Sooner The FAA references early warnings that U.S. air traffic has reached critical mass, requiring immediate modernization of the national airspace system. Marisa Garcia, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025 Why have newer and faster versions of the standard—UHS-II, UHS-III, and SD Express—failed to achieve critical mass? ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025 The White House said Monday that Trump would veto a Senate bill that would mandate congressional approval for new tariffs, a bet that the critical mass of Republican lawmakers will loyally back his taxes on imports despite the economic and political chaos being created. Chris Megerian, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 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 28 May. 2025.

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