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

But 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

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

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

Examples of criticality in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Initial dry criticality is expected to follow in 2027, in which MARVEL will achieve a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction before the coolant is loaded. —IEEE Spectrum, 30 June 2025

Determine asset criticality for predictive maintenance investment. —Ed Garibian, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

That data—whether captured before, during, or after a sporting event—has a level of sovereign criticality to drive winning or even explain losing. —Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 22 May 2025

In particular, the prevalence of vulnerabilities in manageability interfaces and the criticality of privileged access merits strong segmentation of these interfaces. —Yuriy Bulygin, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for criticality

• abnormality
• cardinality
• commonality
• communality
• cordiality
• corporeality
• criminality
• functionality
• generality
• geniality
• hospitality
• illegality