critical mineral

American  

[krit-i-kuhl min-er-uhl, min-ruhl] / ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl ˈmɪn ər əl, ˈmɪn rəl /

noun

1. a mineral or element, such as aluminum, cobalt, lithium, or nickel, that is declared by the U.S. government to be necessary for the production of nationally important technologies and is difficult to source, especially because of its rarity or location.

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Etymology

Origin of critical mineral

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

critical mineral

The findings have important implications for energy policy, critical mineral management, and industrial planning.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026

The Office of Strategic Capital is expected to deploy billions more in loans in the coming months to critical mineral and military technology companies.

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

In August 2024, the port delivered its first critical mineral shipment ever to Belgium.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

Last Thursday the Senate voted, 50-49, to reverse restrictions on critical mineral mining in Minnesota’s Iron Range.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

The government is also working on a critical mineral policy and planning a new survey to map and quantify its rare earth mineral resources, he said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026