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 Heightening the criticality of the issue is the rising violence against nurses. —

Reis Wellness Services, USA TODAY, 20 June 2024 This is a matter of criticality considering the unpredictability of Mother Nature, as demonstrated by the spike in natural calamities that is sadly complementing the accelerating global warming. —

Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2024 Here, this project team was not aware of the criticality or importance of its work on overall company strategy. —

Dipak Kulkarni, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The culture metric recognizes the criticality of an internal culture that values the development of employees—through initiatives such as continuous growth through learning, feedback and mentorship—that nurture human potential and purpose. —

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for criticality

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'criticality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.