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.
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 The White House also 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 him despite the economic and political risks. Arkansas Online, 8 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 30 Jun. 2025.

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