supercritical

[ soo-per-krit-i-kuhl ]

adjective

1. extremely critical.
2. Physics. pertaining to a mass of radioactive material in which the rate of a chain reaction increases with time.

supercritical

/ ˌsuːpəˈkrɪtɪkəl /

adjective

1. physics (of a fluid) brought to a temperature and pressure higher than its critical temperature and pressure, so that its physical and chemical properties change
2. nuclear physics of or containing more than the critical mass

Other Words From

• super·criti·cal·ly adverb
• super·criti·cal·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of supercritical¹

First recorded in 1600–10; super- + critical

Example Sentences

Such supercritical fluids occur naturally in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.

From Science News For Students

Water goes down the hole, is converted to supercritical steam, and shoots back to the surface to drive standard turbines and produce electricity to feed the grid.

From Singularity Hub 

By drilling deeper, the startup will hit rock at higher temperatures—so hot, in fact, that they can produce supercritical water, a fourth phase of water that’s neither liquid nor gas and has a few special properties.

From Singularity Hub 

Water then flows in and out of the wells, picking up heat on the way and becoming supercritical steam that drives turbines.

From MIT Technology Review

The practical person, the wary pedant, and the supercritical will scoff at this, but let it stand.

From Project Gutenberg